BloodRayne: Chronicles of Blood - Origins
by The History Queen
Summary: Hello everyone. This is my very first fan fiction. This story is about the origins of Rayne. I love the game but felt that her past should be elaborated on and show how she came to be the anti-heroine that we all love and adore. I held back on publishing this because I am autistic and it made me nervous. But it will be good for me to meet people online. So, here I go. Enjoy!
1. Chapter 1: An Unholy Birth

**I do not own the BloodRayne franchise. This is a prologue to the original BloodRayne game. The story begins with the birth of our heroine, and it goes through her childhood, loss of mother and family, and her gradual rise to monster hunter. This may be a disappointment for readers who expected lemons and major action. But I want to show Rayne in a different light.**

**Instead of being an over sexed character, you will see her struggles and her steady self-acceptance after tragedy and horror. There will be chapters with action in it, I will put a note at the top of each beginning paragraph. I hope to make more stories based on her later on. Now with that out of the way, please enjoy the story...**

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**Arc 1: Dhampir**

**_July 11, 1916_**

**_Bellevue Hospital Center Maternity Ward_**

**_New York City_**

The rain fell from a light gray sky down upon the dirty sidewalks and towering skyscrapers of New York. The people responded to it in various ways. Ladies in long dresses carried dainty parasols while taking their strolls, the prepared had their umbrella's ready and opened them like a blossom in the springtime when the first of many raindrops fell while the unprepared held newspapers, their hands or just ran to escape further wetness. It was a refreshing respite from the summer heat and people continued on their business as usual. At Bellevue Hospital, the routines of the doctors, nurses and patients continued on regardless.

The patients still demanded the attentions of the nurses and doctors and they too themselves had to keep on with their day administering medicine and care for those in need. One nurse, Veronica Vespa, had to help the midwife attend to a patient and friend, Eliza McDougal, to deliver her baby. The maternity ward was filled with expecting women and she hurried to the room where Eliza had been taken into after she felt the first pains of labor coming in. She had just called Eliza's family about her labor starting and they were waiting anxiously outside.

She hurried with some medicine to help ease the pain and hurried into the room. As she passed through the ward, she could hear screaming coming from the delivery room. Going towards it, she was stopped by a man with an Italian accent thicker than her own. It was the husband of Veronica's neighbor's niece who had moved into Little Italy just three months ago. He asked her if he could have his two day-old son baptized at the hospital since the priest at the neighborhood church charged an outlandish price for his baptisms. Veronica was in a hurry so she told him that she will speak to a doctor about that and hurried to her destination.

She arrived just in time as the midwife and her foreign assitant were wandering where she was.

"Ahhh, Veronica there you are! Finally somebody I can speak English with!"

Veronica gave the midwife the painkillers and tried to help her friend. Eliza was huffing and groaning in pain and soon, with one final scream, the baby's cries filled the room. Suddenly the midwife's assistant screamed. She backed away and yelled something in her native language and ran off like a monster was after her.

"Angyalka, unde ti duci!?"(Where are you going: _Romainian_)

Veronica and the midwife looked over the baby and saw that it was girl and what may have scared Angyalka. The baby had a thin, transparent film over her head.

"Its probably a part of the afterbirth," the midwife said as she used a white towel to clean the baby.

"In Angyalka's home country, they believe that this is a sign that the child is a vampire or dhampir, or half-human, half-vampire. Needless to say she is a very superstitious woman."

Eliza had heard this and she closed her eyes as she remembered that night nine months earlier when that monstrous man attacked and raped her. His eyes glowed red and he took glee in hurting her. Eliza shook with fright from the memory of that man who wasn't a man and the chilling words he uttered.

"You shall bear my child, a demon child, and it will become like me and destroy everything you know and love my dear, sweet, Eliza."

The way he said her name was akin to a butcher coaxing a lamb to the slaughter. Her tension was interrupted when she heard her friend Veronica speaking to her.

"Would you like to hold her or …" Veronica trailed off, considering the circumstances of the baby's conception.

"Yes, I would like to please."

Veronica gently handed the bundled up baby to her mother. The little baby had a fine fuzz of red hair on her head and her eyes were a vibrant green the likes of which Eliza nor Veronica had never seen. That eye color was the same as that horrible man's but they lacked the malevolence he had and instead were filled with innocence. Eliza was in love with her newborn and saw that this child will have a life with her. Eliza began speaking to the infant.

"I will spend my life with you sweetheart. I don't care how you brought into this world, but I promise I will overcome that and I will be the mother you deserve."

"What will you name her," came the midwife's question.

Eliza looked out the window and saw the gentle rainfall cascading outside. She knew what name to pick.

"Rayne, Rayne Amelia."

"That's pretty." The midwife said. She then turned to Veronica.

"Will you please write out the certificate? I'm the worst speller."

"Yes Signora Smith."

Veronica went to do as told before Mrs. Smith stopped her and then turned to the new mother.

"How do you wish to have it spelled? Would you like it as R-A-Y-N-E or do you have a special spelling in mind?"

"You mean R-A-I-N." Veronica quipped. The midwife blushed with embarrassment.

Eliza chuckled and thought for a little bit before she spoke.

"I like R-A-Y-N-E. Its a unique way to spell it."

The midwife smiled and she sent Veronica on her way. After a few minutes Eliza and baby Rayne were taken back to the ward and the family was brought in to see the new family member. First came her father James, her mother Sara, Eliza's older sister Tara came in with her husband Charles and their son Bentley, her younger brothers Conner, James. Jr and Thomas all marched in. They all surrounded the bed in silence. The first to speak was Sara.

"Do you want to keep her? I know we are Catholic but…"

"I want to mom."

"Really!?"

"Yes"

"But why?" her youngest brother said and was rewarded with slap to the back of his head from Conner.

"Are you sure sweetheart?" her father said in his soft Irish tone.

"Yes, I can't be angry at the baby for what happened, it wasn't her fault. It was love at first sight."

Everyone was quiet again until her father spoke up again.

"Alright then, can we see her?"

Soon Eliza's bedside was filled with awwwes and "Can I hold her please?"

"Such fine red hair!" Sara exclaimed upon seeing her granddaughter's fuzzy little head.

"And such eyes," Tara said ,"I have never seen such green eyes before. Their like emeralds."

The baby squiggled in her blanket and made little moaning sounds. Eliza held the baby closer and kissed Rayne's little head. The visiting hours flew by and soon the family departed with the promise that Charles and Tara will come pick Eliza and Rayne up in few days to go home. Eliza settled in with her child. It was peaceful first night for both mother and child.

**_3 days later…_**

A very sunny day graced New York City as Eliza was straightening her hat, ready to go home. Veronica had taken Rayne to a doctor for a final check up and Eliza was waiting for her return. It was a sunny day outside through the window. The light made the brick and sandstone buildings outside look beautiful and young. It was hard to believe that over the Atlantic Ocean, a great war was raging in Europe and literally thousands of people were being slaughtered daily in trenches or the ruins of towns. Eliza had seen several posters throughout the hospital advertising _charity for the orphans of Europe_, _beware of the German Hun_ or_ donate your unwanted canned fruits, vegetables and meats for the French and English people_.

Eliza gazed out the window when her sister's hand touched her shoulder and told her that Veronica had returned with baby Rayne. She was wrapped in a soft, silky cloth and was sleeping. Eliza extended out her arms to collect the child with a smile.

"Ready to go?" Charles asked.

"Yes I am," was Eliza's reply and they set off to leave. As the group traversed through the halls, the hospital personnel walked about with their own personal schedules to follow. Relaxed patients walked about talking, sitting or reading while nurses and doctors looked at clipboards, discussed treatments or personal subjects while visitors waited on important news or were leaving. Charles pressed a button for the elevator and he and his wife and sister-in-law waited for it to come.

Eliza stood patiently by when a pale hand landed on her shoulder.

Eliza jumped and turned around to see a pale woman with short, light brown hair that was wrapped in a light blue headscarf was behind her. The woman was the midwife's foreign assistant that helped deliver Rayne. Eliza thought that maybe she wanted to see the baby she helped bring into the world one last time but the woman's eyes seemed to say otherwise. Without a word, Angyalka took out a small pouch from her left apron pocket and inserted it under Rayne's blankets. Before Eliza could ask why, the woman's icy blue eyes silenced her.

Angyalka spoke in what little, heavily accented English she knew,

"Put in baby's bathwater. Will not burn her."

With that, Angyalka left, leaving the new mother confused. Veronica was coming towards the assistant and she tried to talk to her but the woman spoke in her native tongue and walked off at a quicker pace. Eliza's friend's looked disturbed but quickly smiled when she saw Rayne and walked over. The elevator came up and Charles, Tara, Eliza, baby Rayne and Veronica all stepped into it and descended to the main floor.

**_That night…_**

It was a humid that night in New York City and the people were sweating. The affluent had ices and fans to keep cool while the poor slept out on their fire escapes or, if there wasn't any room or they didn't have one, slept out on the street. Eliza was alone with her mother and daughter in their clammy apartment. The men had gone out to the pub for some cold refreshments and to later see a boxing match. Sara was reading in the living room as an old phonograph played "_A Bird in a Glided Cage_" by _Arthur J. Lamb_ and _Harry Von Tilzer_.

Eliza was getting the family enamel bathtub ready for her baby's bath. She made the water lukewarm so that Rayne wouldn't get to hot. After she filled the tub the with a good amount of water, she went to get her baby who was snuggled in a little crib next to her grandmother. She took her to the tub, undressed her and placed the baby inside. As soon as the baby's skin touched the water however, steam rose from the surface and Rayne started to whimper.

Eliza quickly raised her child from the water in fright. She checked Rayne, thankfully there were no burns and she saw the steam coming off her daughter was now fading.

"Eliza, is everything alright?" came her mother's question.

"Yes mother, its okay. I think the water was a little too hot for her."

"Alright, call me in if you need anything."

Eliza was at a loss. She had tested the water herself, it was at an agreeable temperature for a baby. Then she remembered the foreign midwife's cryptic words from earlier that day, _"Put in baby's bathwater. Will not burn her."_

Eliza remembered the pouch that the woman gave her and she asked her mother to get them.

"What do you need this for Eliza?" Sara said as her daughter took the pouch with a thanks and opened it to reveal that it contained a collection sweet smelling herbs. Eliza thought up of an answer. "I thought that Rayne would smell very nice with these herbs along with the Ivory soap. The midwife's assistant gave them to me today." With that out of the way, Eliza sprinkled a generous amount into the water and she put Rayne inside. This time no steam and Rayne seemed to enjoy the water.

Sara and Eliza cleaned baby Rayne and after she was done, she was dressed in a soft linen dress and rocked to sleep by her mother. Rayne slept peacefully as her mother tried to make sense out of what happened. Why did the water burn her daughter and how did the herbs help? She remembered the superstations of the foreign woman and how Veronica and Mrs. Smith talked of vampires. Maybe should could look into the library tomorrow for more information. But now it was getting late and she could hear the footsteps of her father and brothers coming towards the apartment. She put Rayne in her crib while unbeknownst her, someone was watching her from a distance, eyeing the baby with sinister, red eyes.

**So this ends the first chapter, what did you all think? If you were wandering about the herbs, a friend of mine told me that vampires are weak against all forms of water and if they need to take a bath, they need to sprinkle herbs into the water. He got it from the manga Rosario. Pretty cool huh? I could write a whole chapter on vampire trivia but this is good enough for now. _Please review!_**


	2. Chapter 2: Unwanted Butterfly

**_May 25, 1924_**

**_Our Lady of the Heart Catholic School playground_**

A lovely spring day cast it's beauty upon the city. The trees were ablaze with the richest green, flowers were on their best colorful display, and birds sang in the parks, it was just a beautiful day. This beauty affected the whole populace as the people were more forgiving towards common misdemeanors, the rich and poor got along and even some criminals took a break from their illegal activities to enjoy the weather. Spring was also a time of excitement for youngsters. The students of an elementary school in Manhattan were ready for summer. It was all that they would talk about.

Trips to lakes, boating, swimming, and camping were the main topics for most of the young children who were gathered on the playground for their play. One girl though was more interested in a monarch butterfly she had seen flying around. She stalked the beautiful thing in her uncomfortable black, leather shoes and a blue sailor uniform. The girl also had a black ribbon with white trim in her blaze red hair, which by itself resembled a butterfly. The butterfly gently fluttered about and it came to land on a blue flower bush in the school garden.

As the little lepidopterist was reaching for the delicate life form, wandering if she had this species of butterfly in her collection when a rock suddenly came sailing through the air and landed on the flower bush very close to the butterfly. The butterfly flew off frantically.

"Hey Ranye!"

The girl flinched at the sound of that voice. She turned to see a fat girl in a green uniform with brown pigtails was glaring at her with a malicious smile along with her skinnier, bespectacled lackey. It was Greta Stouffer and her friend Agnes Fuller. Both unpleasant girls, they bullied any underclassmen that they chose for the day and generally made school days hard for the students. It was Rayne's turn for bullying.

Rayne sighed and got up to face the two. They were fifth graders and they thought that entitled them to boss anyone "lower" than them. They stole lunches and ruined homework. Now what did they want with Rayne on this lovely afternoon in May? Rayne didn't want to find out but she didn't have a choice.

The duo approached her.

"What are you doing bastard? Trying to catch your lunch?" Greta said with a sneer. "What a jerk." Rayne thought. Everyone knew of her birth status. It was Agnes's turn.

"Butterflies are stupid like you. They don't do anything but fly around and around. Why don't you fly away little bastard?"

Rayne countered her, "Why don't you fly away. Nobody likes you here."

This surprised the two. Nobody had ever talked back them before.

"Well, nobody likes you either!" was the best that Agnes could muster. Rayne was unaffected and this made both girls mad. Greta tried this time.

"Agnes, shut up." Agnes stopped talking and looked down on her shoes as Greta continued.

"Its not your fault that you're a bastard Rayne." this was surprising and Rayne let her guard down, "Your mother is to blame."

"Leave my mother out of this."

"No, she is the reason you're an invalid. She is a loose woman who should be put in jail forever and when she dies, she will rot in hell!"

Rage was starting to creep into Rayne's soul. This girl was going too far.

"Greta, stop it!"

"Make me dumm (German for stupid)!"

"Greta, I mean it! I'll, I'll…" rage near boiling point.

" You'll do what? I'm bigger than you dumm!"

"Greta…" a strange sensation flowed through Rayne. Her rage escalated her senses. The whole world seemed to slow down and her vision seemed blurry around Greta. Rayne's thoughts became clouded and her mind resounded with the words, "kill her, kill her, kill her." Agnes looked up to see her Rayne's face seemingly change. Her eyes seemed to glow even in the sunlight and she could hear what sounded like a dog growling.

Greta took notice too and her smile faded as she noticed the bestial change in her target's face. Without warning, Rayne jumped on Greta and pinned her down. The bully struggled but Rayne's steel grip made resistance impossible. Her accomplice tried to help but as she grabbed Rayne, she turned her head and made a menacing growl towards Agnes, which made her back away in fright. She turned to Greta and opened her mouth.

Greta froze. In Rayne's mouth were four knife sharp, canine teeth that gleamed with saliva. To add to the terror, her eyes were a fluorescent red that stood out in the sunlight. Rayne eyed her tormentor with a triumphant grin, relishing in her terror as Greta did in the fear of others. She noticed a pulsing vein under Greta's neck and an unbelievable thirst overcame her. Guided by instinct, Rayne lowered jaws upon a terrified Greta's neck.

Just as her teeth touch the girl's skin, Rayne was torn from Greta. Rayne looked up to see who was interfering and saw that it was a nun. The woman flinched upon seeing Rayne's face. As suddenly as it appeared, the rage was subsiding, Rayne's vision cleared and she could see a group of students had congregated around the spot. Agnes and another nun who had come out helped a shaking Greta get up.

"What were doing young lady!" the nun yelled. A student came to Rayne's defense.

"Sister Clarice, Greta and Agnes were making fun of her and…"

"Quiet young man. Regardless, she shouldn't have done that. All three will face the consequences. Now go line up at the gate, it is almost time for classes to resume." Another nun showed up to take Agnes and Greta to the infirmary while Sister Clarice dragged Rayne from the group as the students dispersed. She was taken through the cold halls and into the Mother Superior's office.

The Mother Superior looked up from her papers to see the nun drag in Rayne.

"What is going on sister Clarice?"

"This young lady has just attacked another student and was about to bite her Mother Superior!" The rotund, middle-aged woman blinked.

"Bite her?"

"Yes. I did hear that she doing it in self-defense, but this inexcusable."

The Mother Superior got up from her old chair and walked over to the two. She looked down at Rayne with a spiteful eye. She disliked Rayne for being an invalid.

"Thank-you, sister Clarice for bringing this to my attention. Can you now go tend those who provoked Rayne and later bring them in please?"

The nun curtsied and went to perform the errand. The Mother turned to Rayne. "Rayne, have a seat." Rayne obeyed and sat on one of the old, wooden chairs. Behind the Superior's leather chair was a huge crucifix with a realistically carved wooden Jesus displayed on it. When the woman sat in her chair, she looked intimidating with the effigy of the Holy Son behind her.

"May I ask what has happened today Miss Rayne?"

Rayne told the story and the woman nodded. She got up again and went to the window that looked out over the school entrance and the city.

"Young lady, even though you acted in self defense, you could have been more civilized with Greta."

"Civilized?" Rayne thought. How could she be civilized with a person like Greta? The woman continued.

"From what I have heard, you acted like a savage. Biting her! You may be young, but you are not an animal! I don't know how your mother raises you but this quite _below_ you even."

She said that sentence with an obvious reference to her birth status. She turned from the window towards Rayne. "Your punishment will be for you to have your knuckles wrapped three times with a ruler. I will also call your mother and tell her about this. Now kneel in front of my desk with your fingers outstretched on the ledge."

Rayne swallowed hard as she bent her knees onto the hard, cold floor, nervously holding out her hands. The Mother procured her ruler from her desk and standing on Rayne's left, brought the ruler down the girl's knuckles. Rayne gritted her teeth and tried to swallow back her tears. After three whacks, her fingers were red and a bit swollen.

"Now go outside and wait on the bench. I will deal with Greta and Agnes." Rayne walked outside with her throbbing fingers, tears rolling down her cheeks. A few minutes later, she saw Greta and Agnes walk by with Sister Clarice. Greta flinched while passing Rayne. Soon the office was filled with noises of the ruler whacking the fingers of the two girls and their muffled cries. They were soon led out of the room with red, swollen fingers too. Sister Clarice told Rayne to go back inside just as the Mother Superior was reaching for the phone to call Eliza's workplace.

Twenty minute later, Eliza was sitting in the same office with her daughter and the Mother Superior plus Sister Clarice.

"What will happen to Rayne?" was Eliza's reply.

"Can't decide really, since I am torn between what she had done and the circumstances that had lead to this."

"Is she going to be expelled?" dread filled Eliza's voice.

"I considered it. Sister Clarice, what do you think?"

The nun spoke, "I believe that despite this, Rayne had a reason for this regardless even though it was monstrous. She shouldn't be expelled."

"I have come to the conclusion," the Superior stated, "she will be suspended for the week and have detention on her first day back. You are dismissed." Mother and daughter rose from their seats and went to the door. The Mother Superior spoke, "But before you go, Miss McDougal?"

"Yes Mother Superior?"

"I do not know how you raise your child but may I ask that you please improve your parenting."

Now that was uncalled for. Eliza glared at the condescending bitch.

"I believe that I have raised my daughter well, Mother Superior," Eliza said with a bitter voice, "And I can assure you that I never taught her to "bite" anyone. Now good day to you."

As Eliza slammed the door behind her, Sister Clarice noticed four, fresh, pale scratches on the doorframe. The Mother Superior followed the nun's gaze and saw them herself. Who had made those? Rayne?

**_Later that afternoon, Rayne and Eliza's apartment…_**

Rayne sat on her quilted bed, soaking her fingers in a bowl of ice water. Her window showed the outside buildings being illuminated with the golden light of the setting sun. The sound of cars beeping and people talking were in the air. The sound of her mother's footsteps coming towards her door seemed to make everything go quiet. Her mother entered.

"How are your fingers Rayne?" she said with a stern tone.

No reply.

"Rayne, why are you not talking to me?"

Still no reply.

"Can you tell me again what happened? What did Greta say to you that got you mad?"

Silence again. Eliza didn't know what to say next. Finally Rayne spoke.

"She called you a loose woman and said you should be in jail and that you would rot in hell when you die."

Eliza grew still but she resumed this time with a softer tone.

"She really said that to you honey?"

"Uh huh."

"Honey, please try not to let these things bother you. It's not your fault. You could have just ignored her and…"

Eliza was interrupted by her daughter's sudden action of slashing her nightstand with her fingers, causing splinters to fly. Eliza jumped up in surprise. That nightstand was made of very thick wood and yet Rayne clawed it like it was butter. Her daughter brought back her hand to show that there were splinters in fingers.

"Mommy," Rayne said with tears welling up in her eyes, "what is happening to me?" She began to cry and Eliza went to fetch a tweezer, shaken. She helped remove the splinters from Rayne's fingers. After plucking out the splinters, Eliza hugged her daughter tight, yet something inside her was constricting her heart even harder. That night, Eliza twisted and turned in her bed.

Seeing Rayne's claws reminded her of that night eight years ago, when that man attacked her. It was mid-November, a week after her 19th birthday, she was out doing late night shopping she "bumped" into a tall, well-dressed, handsome, middle-aged man. He apologized for his transgression, and offered to give her a ride back home. Not wanting to walk through the streets again at that hour, she accepted. She could still remember the smooth leather seats as the seemingly chivalrous stranger let her enter first. There were two other people in the car too, the chauffeur and a woman who wore an old-fashioned dress and hat.

As soon as they were off, the stranger brought a handkerchief up to her face, filled with the scent of chloroform; she blacked out, only to awaken in a warehouse naked, cold, on her knees, and bound. She could still feel her binds, so tightly wrapped around her wrists and ankles, that she thought she felt blood on them. She heard that man's voice again, but instead of the sweet, gentlemanly voice, it was that of a sadistic monster sizing up his prey. She didn't see the other two passengers around but they were probably somewhere nearby.

"Such lovely hair." He fingered her proud, red, Irish hair with those clawed fingers. "You will make a lovely child for me, my dear."

Eliza couldn't scream, all she could do was tremble with fear. The stranger then removed her gag.

"What's your name my sweet?"

Eliza couldn't answer.

"What's your name?" he said, this time more threateningly.

"E..llll… ."

"Eliza, such a pretty name." He said as he placed the gag back in her mouth. Now Eliza my dear, I promise you this will not hurt a bit…" he said chuckling with pleasure. And then he raped her.

Eliza awoke from her dream in fright. Her body ached from the memory from what he did to her. Her back and buttocks were riddled with scars from his claws; she couldn't even sit down for three days due to her internal and external injuries. She could remember the scream held back by the gag, the pain, and the humiliation…

After he was "done" with her, he wrapped her up in a thin, ragged blanket, and dumped her in front of her apartment. She had given him her address when she first went into the car. Her cries brought her mother to her wrecked state and then to the hospital. And God after that, an asylum, for the rape had driven her insane and she was unable to talk about it. The McDougal's thought they had lost their daughter and sister.

When she found out that she was pregnant, Eliza at first tried to terminate her pregnancy anyway she could, but each attempt was thwarted. She couldn't accept this child, she tried to starve herself in order to kill it, but nothing worked, she despaired. But one day, when she was in her cell, a beautiful butterfly flew into her room. It rested right next to her, flexing its wings. Eliza hovered her hand over the beautiful creature, intent on smashing it into the padded flooring.

But she stopped as she noticed the sunlight reflected off its wings. Seeing its beautiful colors of yellow, brown, and orange, Eliza's shattered mind seemed to finally mend itself. Why should she kill this creature, it never did a thing to her. Why should she kill this child? This child may have been born from something heinous and unforgivable, but it wasn't the child's fault.

With progress, Eliza regained herself. She gave birth to Rayne and decided to raise Rayne, trying to put that horrid memory faraway into the past.

"Mommy?"

Eliza turned to see that Rayne was standing at her bedside holding her teddy bear, Roosevelt.

"Momma, I had a nightmare. Can I sleep with you?"

"Sure sweetie, come here."

Eliza made room for her daughter to snuggle in. As they were both getting comfortable, Rayne asked.

"Mommy, how come you're crying?"

Eliza felt her cheeks and realized that she was crying. The feeling of the cold tears against her warm skin felt raw and strange. She didn't know what to say.

"I, I was just thinking of … your father…"

"About, Theodore?"

Theodore was the fictional father that Eliza came up with to help explain to Rayne who her father was. She had told her that he died in a construction accident before she was born and before her mother could be married. Rayne gave her hug.

"Mommy, I'm sorry about what happened today."

"It's alright Rayne. Those girls deserved it for what she did."

"Mommy?"

"Yes."

" I love you."

" I love you too honey."

And with that, they fell asleep.


	3. Chapter 3: The Beginning

**_July 13, 1926_**

**_Great-Grandparents cottage, Long Island, New York_**

It was 11:45 P.M. when Rayne looked at the alarm clock that was illuminated by moonlight. Her cousins were sleeping while the adults were downstairs talking. Her family along with other aunts and uncles had all come down to Long Island for a family gathering with great-grandparents Ellen and Jack. The past four days were so much fun! They all went down to the beach and collected seashells, walked the boardwalks of Coney Island, played around the cottage and ate delicious homemade food, especially the chiffon cake with strawberries Rayne had for her 10th birthday made especially by her great-grandmother. Rayne thought it was all fun except that she couldn't swim because whenever she touched water it burned her even when it wasn't hot.

Meanwhile her mother was downstairs in the kitchen talking with Sarah and Ellen while Tara was reading a new book called _**The Great Gatsby**_ in the living room and the men talked politics, their jobs and the like. At the moment, Eliza's second youngest brother Conner was taking his grandparent's maid Annie out to his car to take her home. He opened the driver's side door and a sliver glint impaled his neck. He fell to the ground clutching his neck as Annie stood in shock. She too was cut down with a quick slash to her throat before she could even utter a scream.

The commotion summoned James outside where he saw a woman wearing an elegant Victorian dress kneeling beside Annie's corpse clutching his son's body in her hands her mouth on his neck.

"What in God's holy name…"

The woman, if she could be called that, lifted her head. She was beautiful; blue tinted platinum-blonde hair, vibrant, sapphire blue eyes and slender fingers with dark blue fingernails. Her dark lips had blood dribbling down her chin and when she saw James, a sinister glint shined in her eyes. She gently laid Conner down and walked over to James leering at him.

"You stay away…stay away!"

A white flash was the last thing he saw as it went through his eye and into his brain. As he fell, the woman caught him and proceeded to drain him of his blood.

Thomas walked up to the door to see what was taking so long for his father to come back when he was shot through the screen door. Everyone screamed as Thomas fell to the ground and a well-dressed man burst in with a pistol looking around with a fanged smile. He then shot Great-Grandpa Jack and when Charles tried to attack the man, other people wearing ragged clothing tackled him and began to feed on him. The women shrieked as the carnage occurred and more monsters appeared. Tara tried to run upstairs when one the ragged people impaled her behind the back with its bare hand and tore out her still beating heart.

Ellen was cut down by the Victorian woman who also killed Sarah by slashing her belly while James Jr., who tried in vain to fight off the onslaught was only slaughtered by another ghastly beast. Thomas had his neck sliced by a knife that the well-dressed man possessed and was torn apart by the other creatures. Eliza tried to get to the stairs when one of the monsters grabbed her by the hair and dragged her down the stairs. Its spiny fingers wrapped around her neck and its large teeth prepared to bite.

"Stop."

The beast halted and Eliza froze. She recognized the voice. The creature let her go and she fell to the floor. She looked behind her to see a man she thought she would never see again for the rest of her life.

The man who raped her ten years ago.

**Kagan has made his ****appearence! This was a brief chapter, but I hope you enjoyed it. Please _review!_**


	4. Chapter 4: Father

**_Midnight_**

During the chaos, Rayne had hid under her blankets. When she heard steady footsteps come up to her door she began to ease out from under her covers. The door slowly opened and a very beautiful woman came in. Rayne was struck by the elegance of this woman. She was tall, her hair flowed neatly behind her back like a waterfall, sapphire eyes that possessed and erie glow in the dark, her dress was a lovely dark blue that was decorated with silk and velvet, but strangest of all, the woman wore these silver bangles on both arms, each seemed to possess blades that were curved like a crescent moon. Both were drenched in blood.

The woman looked at Rayne and smiled, revealing her bloody fangs.

"What a lovely girl," her Spanish accented voice was gentle like ocean waves, and yet, there was something evil was lurking beneath it. She knelt down and held out her hand, her eyes glowing with a blue that reminded Rayne of the sky.

"Come here, daughter of the Master."

A mysterious sensation came over Rayne and she left her bed and walked to the woman's out stretched hand. She was in a trance. She gently wrapped her fingers around Rayne's hand and led her out of the room. Outside, every door in the hallway was open and she saw pools of blood on every bed and floor and a monster hovering over her cousins.

They were all dead.

The woman led her down the stairs and Rayne saw the rest of the bodies of her family. She was led to the parlor where a man in a yellow beige trench coat and fedora sat on an ottoman as he firmly held her mother who sat on a piano bench.

"Thank you, Ophelia, you can leave now."

The woman left and shut the door behind her. Rayne snapped out of her trance and tried to come to her senses.

"Rayne run!"

Her mother shouted and Rayne bolted to the kitchen but the well-dressed vampire blocked her path.

"It's no use running," the man said dryly. He squeezed Eliza's arm hard causing her to wince in pain.

Rayne stood there, not knowing what to do.

"Now, be a good girl and come here."

Rayne walked back in and stood before him and her shivering mother.

"What did you name it," he asked Eliza. Eliza didn't say anything at first. The man then shook her.

"What did you name it?" he said with subtle impatient anger.

"Rayne, Rayne Amelia," she said, angry that this man just called her daughter an it.

"Ah, you picked a pleasant name for our daughter."

Rayne looked up confused.

"Oh, I guess among the human breeds you are considered a bastard. I don't know what story your mother used to explain my absence but, here I am, your father, Kagan."

Rayne just stood there in total shock.

"Now I hear from one of my minions that your vampiric side awoke two years ago. You were about to bite your victim but a woman removed you before you could do it."

He smiled, his sharp fangs bared.

"Now, let us complete the awakening!"

He violently pulled Eliza to the ground and with a claw like nail, he cut her neck. Blood began to ooze out.

"Momma!"

"Rayne stay back!"

"Such terror… Just like that night I met you."

Eliza began to shiver even more and tears poured down her face. Rayne was terrified but as the blood trickled down, that great thirst from two years before came over her again. She began to walk over but stopped as she tried to resist. But Kagan would have none of it. He smiled towards his child and he began to encourage her.

"Don't rebel sweetheart. Let it take over. Become a full dhampir. Half human, half vampire, you will become an invaluable asset to my family."

Rayne knelt beside her mother as her evil father encouraged her. Both crying, Rayne sank her teeth into her mother's neck and she began to drink. As Kagan goaded her on, Eliza began to drift away, she whispered to Rayne,

"Rayne, my darling baby, I love you and I forgive you. No matter what. I love you so much, so much…"

She whispered this till the last drop of her blood was drunk.

Rayne backed away from the pale corpse of her mother as her senses returned. She was in shock and horror. Kagan stood up and let Eliza's body drop to the floor.

"My child, you are complete. Welcome to my family."

"NOOOOOOOOOOO!"

Rayne ran and was caught by the dressed up vampire. She struggled and she managed to pierce his eye with a sharp fingernail. The creature howled in pain and dropped Rayne who bolted for the door at speeds she never knew she was capable. The monsters came after her intent on capturing her. Rayne didn't know where she was going; she just followed the forest path before her.

She heard that woman's voice again but ignored its luster. She ran till she saw a church, she remembered in fairy tales that vampires couldn't stand holy things. She sprinted to it and threw herself at the door. The vampires stopped in their tracks. Frustrated, Ophelia retracted her blades and tried charging the church, only to be called back by Kagan.

"Ophelia let her be."

Kagan appeared and he looked at Rayne.

"She will come to me some day. It takes awhile for dhampirs to accept their fathers, but their eternal lifespan gives them plenty of time to think it over. Let's go, I have other things to do. "

He, along with the other vampires turned away and vanished into a gathering mist. Kagan's voice lingered in the darkness.

"You will come to me some day and join your true family… And during that time, please enjoy your yourself. You have much to discover about your vampire side..."

And soon the voice and mist vanished altogether.

Everything was quiet. Rayne shivered and she slowly stood up but fell down again. She cried and cried.

"Mommy I'm so sorry! I'm so sorry!"

She got up again and wandered through the forest and came back to the cottage. She walked over the mutilated corpses of her family and took a blanket and covered herself and her mother's body and slept next to her for the rest of the night, crying herself to sleep.

**And so begins Rayne's saga of revenge...**


	5. Chapter 5: Orphan

**Author's Note:  Graphic violence and suggestive content ahead. Otherwise, enjoy!**

**_November 30, 1929_**

**_New York City_**

**_3 years later_**

Rayne sat in the cold alleyway by the steam vent trying to get warm. It had been three years since her family's massacre and now she was living in the streets of New York City. She was originally sent to an orphanage but she found it not to be her liking. The teachers where strict and treated the other children like it was they're fault they were orphans. Rayne ran away from there after staying for three days. Now she was a street waif in the Big Apple.

Besides her cruel tragedy, another one had occurred at the stock market in October. Stocks plummeted, banks closed, the decade's years of greed and careless spending had finally caught up to it. Now those who hit rock bottom where seen in literally mile long lines for free soup and bread or for possible jobs. Even former bankers, shop owners and clerks were seen selling apples for 5 cents on the streets or living in ramshackle slums called "Hoovervilles" using newspapers to cover themselves which were called "Hoover blankets". The whole economical bedlam was blamed on a myriad of people of all classes but in the end, regardless, they were all in the same hopeless situation.

Rayne tried to find her mother's friend Veronica Vespa but she had disappeared, probably the work of Kagan. Just thinking about him brought on a boiling rage. It wasn't just Kagan that made her simmer with fury, that female vampire that was with him, Ophelia, she was just as horrid as he was! A gust of cold wind blew over Rayne, bringing her back to reality. Her scratchy, faded pink, wool coat somewhat helped with the cold and so did the dirty, green skirt, and mud caked boots she wore helped too.

As she put her frozen fingers into the steam, a door opened in the alley. A drunken woman in an expensive fur coat came out dragging a man by his tie out onto the frigid alley. She almost fell down the wooden steps connected to the tiny deck outside of the door and nearly strangled her lover too. That door led to a speakeasy, which had seen a rise in business after the stock market crash as people went there to drown their financial sorrows in illegal liquor. Rayne with her new dhampir senses could smell a cloud of scents coming out of the door.

Cigar smoke, the sour, pungent aroma of beer, whiskey, vodka, and gin all permeated her nose in a fog of quiet discord. Thanks to her new senses, she could see, hear and smell things that normal people couldn't experience. It was strange at first but she got used to it. The inebriated couple walked in graceless steps towards Rayne. The lady was against the wall and started to kiss the man numerous times.

"Hey Flora, you want to continue this somewhere nice? How about my place?"

"No,no,noooo, I don't think your wife would like hearing us having "fun"."

The man rolled his eyes.

"Uh, you had to remind me. Don't worry; she's just a miserable bitch. She's just jealous of you cause your so preeeeeeetttttyyyyy."

The man was pretty drunk too. Flora took a swig from her bottle of gin and started to get a little too intimate with her beau.

"Soooooooooooooooo, Carl, whaddya say? Wanna get naughty? I'll bring a whole new meaning to the phrase "cats' peow."

She meant, "meow". Rayne couldn't take any more of this and tried to inch away a bit from them but Flora saw her.

" Awwwww, look Carl, a homeless bid…. kid."

She reached into Carl's pocket and threw three pennies and a nickel at Rayne. The coins hit Rayne like hail as Carl and Flora only laughed at this. After laughing at Rayne's expense, Carl turned to Flora with a mischievous smile.

"I do believe Miss Culder, that I left my secret stash of five star vodka in the dead end of this alley, how about we have some before we continue with this "elsewhere..." Carl said with a seductive tone.

He peeled himself off of Flora and began to walk all the while swerving back and forth like a pendulum. He disappeared into the corner of the alley and Flora began to sing some song in a broken rhythm when Rayne heard something. At first she thought the noise was Carl making drunken noises but then Rayne heard a low growl like one from a jungle cat, the sound of breaking glass, and then the scent of blood filled the air. Something _very_ bad had just happened to Carl.

"Carl what the hell are you doing back there," said an annoyed Flora who then took a swig of gin. Soon a shadowy figure appeared. Rayne couldn't see his features but even in the dark, she could tell it wasn't human.

"You better not be doing anything funny…"

The figure jumped from the corner with unbelievable speed and pinned Flora down. It was a vampire. He had white eyes, and giant fangs dripping with blood and long cat like claws that held Flora down like a nail in lumber. Flora started to scream until the beast's claws swiped her face, tearing off her nose and shredding her lips. She began to choke and scream at the same time. The monster finished her off with a bite to the neck.

Rayne began back away cautiously, but unfortunately, the vampire didn't seem to like the taste of Flora's blood as he spat the liquid out of his mouth. He saw Rayne and smiled with a bloody, toothy grin. Rayne looked around for any possible weapon to use and found a pile of bricks. She threw them at the creature but it had no effect. He hissed and growled at Rayne with a hungry look in his eyes. Crap.

The beast lunged at her but Rayne dodged him in time and he only tasted dirt and slime. She started to run but tripped over one of the bricks she threw at the creature. The vampire took advantage of this and he sauntered over to her and picked her up by the hair. His strong hand pulled at Rayne's scarlet roots, sending waves of pain on her head.

"Aaaaahhhhhhhh," she screamed. She couldn't hear anyone coming. Didn't anyone hear her screams? Didn't anyone care? Anyone in earshot probably thought it was just a hooker getting beaten up or the now deceased Flora and Carl going at it again. This was a crime-ridden neighborhood so everyone was probably yet unbelievably used to hearing this sort of thing.

The beast turned her around to face him. His breath smelled of death and blood and his snow white eyes showed only an empty void in which a conscious was once seen at one time. This thing was once a man after all. He was about to bite her when out of quick thinking; Rayne slashed his face with her emerged claws. The beast's left eye disappeared in blink of flesh and blood along with his cheek.

"Aaaaarrrrrrrraaaaawwwwwwwwwwwwww!"

The vampire howled with pain and he let go of Rayne. Rayne soothed her sore scalp just as the thing turned to meet her gaze. The left side of his face had five fine slash wounds that cut deeply into his eye and cheek and blood slowly trickled down his neck and dripped from his jaw. His only snow-white eye was now filled with rage and then fear. It let out a low hiss and it jumped onto the walls and scaled it like a spider.

Rayne was alarmed. She had to go after that thing before it could do anymore harm. Rayne looked for a weapon and she searched the back of the alley. She found Carl's drained corpse along with shattered bottles of vodka. Rayne took the biggest shard of glass and with her dhampir powers, was able to reach the roof of the building with one jump.

She looked around. She couldn't find him.

"Goddammit!" She exclaimed. Suddenly her sight changed to blue and she could see a bright, blue, light and moving erratically over distant rooftops.

"What the hell," Rayne was shocked; it must be one of her powers. Her instincts told her to follow it. She did and with her speed, she caught up to the beast. He sensed her coming and he jumped down into an open window.

A woman screamed as the sound of breaking glass and grunting rattled through the apartment. Rayne jumped over the to next roof just as the creature burst through another window with the beast flying across the rooftops to the direction of the Brooklyn Bridge. Rayne sped up, her legs jumped over concrete ledges as gracefully as a deer during the pursuit.

The beast then jumped straight down onto the street, narrowly dodging cars as it traveled towards the Hudson River. Rayne followed in suit passing the stopped cars and confused civilians. She jumped over a railing and landed on the dirty sand and looked to her right and left. On her right were footprints. She tracked them until she came to the bridge.

Rayne looked around nervously, her "_Aura Sense_", couldn't find him. However in the corner of her eye, she saw a massive blue light under the water. Just as she turned her head to examine it further, the vampire jumped out and landed right on top of Rayne. The glass shard was thrown out of her hand just beyond her grasp. The beast's one eye looked at her as it tried to bite her. She struggled with him, he was wet and the water droplets were burning Rayne. She managed to gain the upper hand by using her left hand to close his mouth while using her right to try and reach for the shard.

With a few tries, she managed to grab it and she stabbed the vampire in the neck with it. The red liquid poured from the his closed mouth and a swallowed roar shook his jaws. Rayne let go of the glass as droplets of blood landed on her face and got up; she needed a new weapon pronto. The vampire was struggling with the sharp glass, which was deeply embedded in his throat. The girl looked around and saw a log of driftwood.

It had a protruding stick that could be sharpened and used as a stake to impale him with. Rayne had to move fast though, he was starting to get the glass out of his throat. She broke off the stick just as her opponent was pulling the last of the of the shard out. Rayne didn't think of sharpening her stake, it was pretty sharp as it was. She turned to face the beast that had just finally removed the shard and was choking on his own blood.

He turned to face his opponent. His past skirmishes from Rayne had left the vampire a bloody mess. His left eye was clawed to ribbons and now his throat had a deep gash in it from the broken bottle shard. Needless to say, he was pretty pissed off. He glared her with vehement fury.

"This meal better be worth it." He probably thought if he could _think_ at all. He circled Rayne as she held her makeshift stake close. The beast began growling and bearing his ugly fangs at Rayne. He was ready to strike. He lunged at Rayne with bestial fury as she held out the stake.

He fell on it. The stake went right through his heart and out his back. He roared out in frustration, fear, and pain but it began to die down. Rayne let go of her weapon and the beast fell down. Steam started rise from his body as he whimpered. He seemed to be turning back into a human.

His fangs vanished, claws receded, and color returned to his only eye. Rayne cautiously walked towards him. His hand lunged out towards her and Rayne flinched but it wasn't out of malice.

"Th..th..than…k...y...you…" he was saying raspy voice thanks to his throat wound but he still had more to say. Rayne got closer to hear.

"P..Patricia…G…G..Gordon," and after that, he died. Rayne looked solemnly at her fallen prey. She took out the stake and threw it in the river. What to do with his body though?

"Did you hear that? It sounded like it came from over there…"

Rayne panicked. Someone was coming. She had to leave the man's corpse behind. Even though she didn't believe in God, Rayne said a quick prayer for the man and then sprinted off to safety. She ran until she was sure she was safe and began to walk the lonely streets.

She decided not to sleep in an alleyway tonight and instead, chose to spend the night on the rooftop. With a single bend of the knees, she reached the roof no problem. It was cold, but she was warm from her skirmish with the vampire. As Rayne sat down, she heard a voice from a radio coming from one of the apartments. Despite being exhausted, Rayne edged herself towards the source and listened.

It was **Amos n Andy**, it had recently came out the year before and it was pretty funny. Rayne had to stifle her laughter so the occupant couldn't hear her. Then somebody changed the station.

"Evening there folks, did you all have a good Thanksgiving? Enjoy Grandma's specialties. Juicy turkey, creamy potatoes, and succulent pumpkin pie?"

Rayne's mouth watered upon hearing that.

"If you were concerned about those unlucky folks whose families couldn't enjoy the holidays due to the crash, don't be sad. One fine socialite by the name of Patricia Gordon has been giving holiday cheer to the downtrodden souls of New York with her soup kitchen, Angels Mercy. Her kindness reminds us that no matter how bad things get, there is still good in the world."

That name! Could it be the same Patricia that turned that man into a vampire? As much as she would like to find out, Rayne was exhausted from her ordeal with the vampire and decided to find a place to sleep. She changed her mind about sleeping under the stars and she leapt from the apartment roof and down into the alley way below. She figured this one would be safe. She saw a steam vent on the grimy ground and she laid next to it with a torn pillow she found in the trash for her head.

In a few minutes she was fast asleep.


	6. Chapter 6: A Hopeless City

**_The Streets of New York and Angels Mercy_**

Rayne awoke the next morning to prepare for her vampire hunt. In the shadows of apartments and with the warmth of the steam grates, she scoured through garbage cans looking for suitable weapons. To her luck, there were plenty of sharp objects that found their way into the trash. It was amazing to see what things people threw away. She found half eaten food (mostly vegetables, naughty kids), old hats, good shoes and a few clothes with small tears that some housewives were too lazy to sew up, and once, Rayne found a dead cat wrapped in newspaper. After finding an old, burnt wooden spoon, she came up with an idea. She broke the spoon in half and she wrapped up a shard of glass to it with some twine she found, making it into a makeshift knife and she put it in one of her coat pockets.

After her search, Rayne was hungry, so she searched the alley for rats. She found a fat one and with lighting speed, she caught it and drained it of its blood. As much as she hated it, this was her only source of food, regular edibles didn't satisfy her much anymore. Sucking blood reminded her of that horrible night when Kagan forced her to drink her mother's blood to "complete" her awakening. But, if she didn't drink blood, she would get that terrible thirst that wracked her very senses to their core and the only way to get better was to quench it with the blood of the living.

Rayne left the alley and ventured into the streets of New York. She asked around to see if anyone knew where Angels Mercy was. But most of the people she talked to flat out ignored her or told her to go away. Rayne didn't give up however and she did find a nice lady later that afternoon who told her that Angels Mercy was located in Manhattan on 6th street. Rayne thanked her and went on her way.

Since she didn't have any change for a taxi, Rayne had to walk to 6th street. As she walked, she saw the mile long lines of the unemployed and desperate, waiting for bread, soup, or a possible job. Some just sat on the concrete sidewalks, too hopeless to do anything but wait for a miracle. While the unfortunate waited on an uncertain future, the ones who were spared of financial ruin continued on with their daily lives, doing their best to keep the cruel aspects of reality out with surviving luxuries like movie theatres, plays, parks (if there weren't any noticeable homeless people), zoos, and restaurants. Life still had a way of being normal while everything else went to hell.

"Hhheeeyyy hhhooonnneeeyyy..."

Rayne stopped to see a homeless woman dressed in rags in front of a bakery with a sign that said, "_Going out of business in five days. Everything 50% off or more._" The woman stared at Rayne with glassy, red eyes; she was either a druggie, a former mental patient or both. Rayne guessed the former because she smelled reefer in her breath.

"Do ya have a cent to spare?" But Rayne couldn't give her anything except pity and so she left the woman and her outstretched hands to the cold fall air. Just as Rayne was rounding the corner to the left, she found the soup kitchen, Angels Mercy. Its name was written in fancy cursive with yellow paint and on the left of the writing, a painting of an angel kneeling down and embracing a small, rosy cheeked child. Outside the building was a long line of homeless people at the door. Rayne ran to the back of the line before it got any longer and she managed to reach the end before three other individuals showed up. The line steadily moved into the small brick building and as they got closer to the door, the aroma of cooking food filled the air and an army of hungry stomachs growled and people licked their greasy lips in anticipation.

As Rayne got closer to the door, she could see the counter and women and men in stained aprons handing out bread and a viscous red substance that aroused Rayne's senses. It looked like blood…as she got closer Rayne licked her chapped lips and her teeth pulsed with the desire to ingest that red liquid. The line moved slower than ever and soon she was in front of the area that had the scarlet ichor. Rayne's senses relaxed as soon as she realized that the red substance was in fact tomato soup. She felt like a fool.

"Honey, you forgot your tray." Surprised, Rayne looked up to see a chunky woman in an ugly hairnet and stained apron, her ladle full of soup suspended over the vat that held it. Rayne was embarrassed.

"Here sweetie." A nice old homeless man said as he handed her a tray with a bowl and spoon. Rayne thanked him and she quickly got her soup, bread slice, and a glass of milk and she went to get a seat in the noisy cafeteria. Soon after sitting down, Rayne took a spoonful of her soup, blew on it, and swallowed it. It had a good texture to it along with a nice creamy, sweet, and tangy flavor that warmed her body up right away and she continued eating it while this time dipping her bread in it.

Rayne listened to the noise around her. Most of the people were enjoying their humble meal in gratitude, while some lonely souls struck up conversations, sharing stories of hope and despair. One in particular caught Rayne's attention.

"Did hear about that gruesome discovery last night at the Brooklyn Bridge?"

"No, what happened?"

"Well, some kids found a body near the river bank late last night and well let me tell you, from the descriptions I've been hearing, the man was awfully torn up and, get this, impaled with a big stick!"

Rayne froze; it was the vampire she killed last night.

"My God, do they have any suspects?"

"No not yet, though the cops believe that it was a mob hit and besides that, they are also looking for the killer of a young couple found butchered in an alley in some crummy neighborhood. The world's gone crazy I tell ya…"

Rayne sighed; the person didn't mention any form of description the police might be circulating, so she relaxed. As she was getting to her 8th spoonful of soup, two oddly dressed people came in, the first to come in was a woman wearing a large dress, massive sun hat, and gloves, while a young, brown haired man followed her in with a umbrella in his left hand and a basket of fruit hanging on his right arm. As the odd group came in, a kitchen worker immediately came out with a stool as the young man with the basket closed the umbrella as the woman glared at the stool.

"A stool Herman?" the woman said to the scrawny dirty blond haired man who brought the stool in a condescending tone.

"Did you not get the message this morning? We are going to need a table for the other baskets coming in; they're from the food bank. Now go get the table and don't forget, a big one!"

The man went off to do as told along with several other kitchen staff. As soon as the table was in, a big truck pulled up outside and some men came in with more baskets filled with fruit on the table and left. The chatter of speech and clinking of silverware hushed a bit as the crowd saw the spectacle. The oddly dressed woman stood in front of it and spoke; "Good afternoon everyone, my name is Patricia Gordon and this fine young man here is my son Clayton. Are you all having a good meal?"

"Yes," the crowd spoke in unison, with Rayne included. So this was Patricia, now she understood her odd dress code. She would burn to a crisp in the sun.

"And her son would too." Rayne thought.

"Well as you see here, it is going to get better. For I have now provided you all with fruit from the food bank that was donated by farmers and grocery stores. So please, in single file, come up and get some fruit, there are bananas, apples, pears…"

Her voice was drowned out by the hum of the crowd getting up to get the first produce they've probably had in long time if they didn't have the nickel to get apples in the small stands in the streets. Rayne joined them; she had some apples before when she could scrounge a nickel for one but now she was getting more fruit for free. Besides bananas, apples, and pears, there were oranges, grapes, and oddly enough, figs. As she got her fruit, Rayne noticed that Clayton was staring at her with weird blue eyes. It creeped her out how he was just looking at her.

Patricia seemed to take notice of her son's gaze and she walked over to him and whispered something into his ear in a sharp tone. The man whispered something back and Patricia looked right at Rayne. A warm smile spread on her lips revealing the points of fangs, one that reminded Rayne of Ophelia, except this one didn't have dripping blood but had all the gleeful malice in it. This was bad. As Rayne hoped they would lose interest in her, a homeless man walked up to them with his hat in hands.

Patricia's malicious faded into a fake one as the man approached.

"Hello there, is there anything you need?"

"Yes, ma'am there is. I just want to thank you for your immense kindness. I have been on the streets looking for work and well this place has given me some well-needed hope."

"Well I am absolutely flattered to hear that, good for you!" she said in a tone that Rayne could tell was fake. This woman and her son cared nothing for these people, they were vampires and they had the perfect setup. This soup kitchen they owned was a buffet for them to choose their victims just like that man from last night. And since their clientele consisted mostly of the dregs of society: the homeless, the poor, street children, and prostitutes, no one would really gave a crap if any of them went missing or wound up dead.

Patricia and Clayton could do whatever they wanted with these people without anyones notice.

Rayne felt disgusted as she quietly got her fruit. Soon evening came and darkness descended upon the city, employees came around the tables laying out donated game boards of chess, checkers, and cards. Rayne went into the corner to be by herself, she didn't know anyone here and she felt it would be rude to interrupt any of their games to ask if she could play. Instead she just watched with the rest of the standoffish crowd in the corner.

As Rayne stood there at the corner, she saw Clayton walking up to one of the other loners, a black girl a couple years older than Rayne and wearing spotted, dirty blue clothes and a ratty old shawl. After saying something, she followed him as he walked up to Rayne. He gave her that look again.

"Hello there young lady, what is your name" he said with a predatory smile.

"Rayne,"she said warily.

"What a pretty name, this girl here at my side is Therese. Why don't you say hello my dear girl."

"Hello." Therese said in a low shy voice.

You seem lonely Rayne. Are you the only child here?"

"I'm thirteen," Rayne said giving him proof that she was not really a child. The man was unfazed.

"Regardless of our age, we are all still children of the Lord." he said, saying Lord like it was joke.

"Now come with Therese and I. I believe my mother can give you two jobs at our home four blocks from here."

And with that, he took Rayne's hand in a hard grip and he lead both her and Therese outside into the lit streets. After walking the four blocks, they came to the house. It was a simple redbrick building, two stories tall, with five windows in the front with three that were curtained except for the two next to the door. These people had to be rich because they had a well groomed backyard, a novelty in a city were space was very hard to come by and if there was any, it was gobbled up by industry, construction, or became a junk yard which in turn became a playground for the hyper children of cramped tenement housing. The backyard reminded Rayne of an elderly neighbor from her old apartment building who spoke constantly of the days when New York wasn't so large, when women had enough room to move around in their big hoop skirts with a young bachelor holding onto their arm. A random thought but it comforted Rayne as she and the other two reached door.

As they walked in Rayne's nose was assaulted by the smell of incense, tobacco, and subtle hints of freshly baked cake. The foyer was beautiful. The trio's feet rested on a Persian carpet which probably cost an arm and a leg to buy and make, a gorgeous walnut staircase, the steps cloaked in a light pink waterfall of carpet, walnut tables across from each other, the one by the staircase holding a Chinese vase, and the other on the opposite maroon wall had a gold mirror. An opulent house indeed. Ranye was in awe.

"Come right this way, but first let me take your coat miss" Clayton said as he reached for Rayne's jacket, but she told him she wanted to keep it on. Shrugging, Clayton then led both girls into the room to the left. Another beautifully decorated room with small oval framed pictures, a grand piano, grandfather clock, red wine colored furniture, and a small walnut coffee table that had a small plate with a fork and crumbs on it and a rug. Patricia, now wearing an evening gown, was sitting in the chair with a weird vase like object in which a tube was attached from which she was inhaling something from it.

Without all those clothes, Patricia looked like your typical, everyday middle-aged housewife. She had short, curly brown hair like her son (he didn't have curls though), almond shaped, pale, blue eyes, fair nose and a thin mouth as if it were drawn with a pink colored pencil.

"Ah, good evening Clayton, and who are these fine young ladies you have brought in?" she said eyeing Rayne and Therese.

"I got these two young ladies from our soup kitchen mother, their names are Therese and Rayne. They were lonely and I thought they would be perfect for the job opening of being maids here."

Patricia smiled that same predatory smile from before. Rayne had gut feeling there was no job opening. Patricia spoke;

"Clayton why don't you take Rayne into the kitchen and get her some cake, Margaret baked a lovely angel cake today. And be sure to reserve some for Therese too."

With that she got up, snapped her fingers and a nervous servant came in and picked up the device and walked away.

"If you were wandering my dears, that was a hookah, a smoking device from Turkey. It is a very refreshing change from everyday cigars and cigarettes."

"Like I care." Rayne thought. Soon the group-parted ways, with Patricia taking Therese up the stairs to her room to "talk about the job" and Clayton taking Rayne to the kitchens. As they walked through the hall to the kitchen, Rayne knew they weren't stopping for cake. They soon came into a sparkling kitchen with black and white floors and shiny kitchen tools and pots.

There on the counter was the cake but then Clayton said;

"Before we have that, I want to show you something." He said and he led Rayne through the big kitchen. Rayne felt for the weapon she made earlier, it was still there but there were better ones here. Rayne saw a stray corkscrew lying on the counter, and before Clayton could notice, she swiped it. They reached a wooden door that opened onto some very old wooden steps that looked like they have been there since the city was built.

"Ladies first." Clayton said. He was going to trap her in the basement. Rayne decided to go first anyway because it would have been futile to argue with him. As she descended, she smelled the usual old basement smells; mold, stale water, dust, and as she got lower she could smell some faint scent coming from the upper left corner of the dimly lit room that she couldn't discern.

Rayne's heart was quickening its beat as she walked down the creaky steps and onto the cold cement floor. As she stood under a bare light bulb, she could see two large wine racks, sacks of root vegetables and cement and a miscellaneous of other tools and junk. She then heard a soft click coming from upstairs.

Clayton had locked the door.

**The next chapter is going to have another gruesome fight! Stay tuned, I am going to edit it a bit before I post it. What did you guys think of New York during the Great Depression? Please comment. **


	7. Chapter 7: Blood Fest

**Author's Note: Graphic violence and disturbing content ahead. **

**_Gordon Residence_**

**_Night_**

The soft click answered Rayne's fears and soon Clayton's footsteps resounded throughout the room. She turned around to see his now golden-yellow eyes, the eyes of a wolf, glowing in the dark. His true nature was now revealed. Rayne stood her ground, although she was frightened but she didn't show it and now, she was a little more prepared. As Clayton got closer to the light, Rayne could see his face was twisted into that of a predator, his fangs were framed by a large, evil smile and his wolf amber eyes tried to pierce Rayne with fear.

As he looked at her, Rayne could see lust in his eyes. This man was a pedophile.

"Aren't you a brave one" he said licking his lips, his voice deeper and sinister. All the kids I've had down here tried to run or cried for their mothers. Do you have a mother?" he said tauntingly. A knot twisted in Rayne's stomach.

"My mother is dead."

"A father?"

"No."

Clayton put his head back and let out a devilish laugh.

"Ha! This will be easy then. Nobody misses orphans. No one will miss you!" he said with a sneer.

Was he right?

Rayne had no other family and friends except her father's but she highly doubted he would miss her, if he even remembered her at all. If she were to die, no one would notice and even if they did, no one would care. But that didn't mean she could not care for her own life. She had to make a stand. She had an idea, maybe she could scare him that she was a dhampir and that she killed one of his mother's vampires.

"My mother was killed by a vampire just like you. That vampire was my father," she said, trying to ignore the fact that she had killed her only mother on Kagan's command. Clayton's smug face changed to surprise.

"You're a dhampir?"

"Yes, and I killed one of your vampires last night. He told me your mother's name with his last breath. I came to your soup kitchen today to find her and to kill her and now, you…"

At first Clayton looked at her in disbelief. A minute later, he laughed.

"So you were the one who killed Forrest last night. I give you my thanks, he was a problem. I keep telling mother to control her "pets" better. He escaped the night before from his cell and he killed a maid. Again, I thank you for getting rid of him." Clayton said with a twisted smile.

He continued; "Unlike my indulgent mother, I don't keep pets, I keep toys! And I like to play with them a bit before I finish them. Children are the best, their despair and fear are the most potent and I get much entertainment from their suffering as I take their innocence and lives as they beg!"

"Holy shit," Rayne thought, " this man is a monster. When I find the moment, I am going to give this bastard the painful death he deserves!" She glared at Clayton with quiet anger; something began to stir within her. She could feel power coursing through her veins; one of her dhampir powers was surfacing. Clayton's grin got bigger.

"This is the first time I have ever "played" with a dhampir child!" he said as he readied his right hand for a devastating right hook.

"Lets play!" he howled as he sent his fist flying. But to his surprise Rayne caught his arm with her left hand and with a strong twist of her wrist, broke it. Pain coursed through his arm and Clayton screamed in response. In rage, he ignored her now crimson eyes and sent his left hand flying, but Rayne caught this one too.

This time Rayne had a much more painful surprise for him. With a strong squeeze and pull, Rayne tore off Clayton's left arm. Clayton roared with pain and he tried to get free of Rayne's grip. She let him go and he fell backward. Before he could scream some more, Rayne, after her _Blood Rage_ had subsided, jumped on top of him and stuffed his own severed arm into his mouth to quiet him.

Clayton's muffled roar sounded throughout his body as he struggled with a broken arm and the bloody stump of one. Rayne, confidant that he couldn't do anything but struggle, took out her first weapon to impale him with. As she held up the makeshift spoon/knife, Clayton grabbed her with his broken arm. This terrified Rayne and she saw his eyes were tearing with pain, he was using his own severed arm as a bite guard. His nails dug into her stomach and she screamed. She got off him as quickly as possible, dropping her weapon in the process.

The glass broke upon impact. With pain burning in her side, Rayne rushed to the tools lying against the wall; shears, spades, trowels, clippers, hammers, nails, pruners, rakes, and shovels. As she reached for one she recoiled in horror. There was blood on the weapons, and then she remembered the faint scent from earlier, it was old blood, but wasn't from the tools. Rayne heard a whoosh sound and she turned around, Clayton was standing up.

He stared at Rayne with anger and eerily, joy. She could see the tears running down his cheeks, and the saliva and blood oozing down his severed arm. He let the limb drop to the floor and then dashed at Rayne with unbelievable speed but Rayne dodged him in time and took a diagonal sprint to a corner. When she reached the corner, the faint scent was now stronger and on closer inspection she saw fingers sticking out of the ground that wasn't covered in cement. Terror became rage when she saw how little the fingers were.

She could feel Clayton's eyes staring at her again. As she turned around she saw that he was right behind her. She flinched, but she didn't run, instead she stared him right in the eyes.

"You sick bastard…" she said to him. All he did was grin at her. He then lunged at her with his teeth, only to be greeted with a corkscrew to the stomach. He screeched in frustration and desperately tried to will his broken arm to move. Rayne used this opportunity to get a weapon. This time she got a trowel and she sauntered over to him.

As his fingers were touching the corkscrew handle, Rayne grabbed him and threw him to the ground, sat on him and began the gruesome business of decapitating him with the trowel.

**A satisfying kill indeed. I wish all killers and rapists could suffer for their crimes like this. There is more to come. Stay tuned!**


	8. Chapter 8: Monsters

**Author's note: Graphic imagery and profanity ahead.**

Rayne was panting after she finished the job. She was a bloody mess, just like the vampire was from last night. She had blood on her face, stomach (both hers and his), and her hands and sleeves were drenched in it. She got off of Clayton's now headless body and went up to the stairs. There was a chain lock, Rayne undid it but when she opened the door, it wouldn't budge. It was locked on the outside but how?

Maybe there was someone outside who locked it. Rayne used her Aura sense and didn't see anyone nearby. Not knowing what to do, she decided to go back downstairs. But as she was nearing the floor, one of the steps fell through. Before she knew it, with her dhampir reflexes, Rayne did a backflip and with the full force of her feet, bashed through the door. She landed on her rear haphazardly in a daze, did that really just happen?

Before she could celebrate her awesome feat, she had to find Therese. She went through the kitchen and through the hallway with the blood-dripping trowel. The lights were out. Rayne used her Aura Sense to see through the dark and she saw a small blue light that got slightly bigger as she got closer. As she went through, she heard weeping coming from somewhere upstairs.

The lights of a passing car briefly illuminated the foyer with pale light as she tiptoed up the stairs and soon reached the landing and began looking for the source that her Aura Sense was leading her to. The blue light got bigger and bigger as Rayne moved to the left of the landing. As she rounded the corner, the light was huge, and it was coming from the door straight ahead of Rayne. She tiptoed up to it and carefully turned a brass knob that was eerily shaped like a face and Rayne walked into the room. It was dark and the sweet smell of incense wafted out.

There were no discernable windows and the room was black as night. With her Aura Sense however, the room was illuminated with a massive blue light and upon closer inspection; Rayne could see that it was a body lying limp under the covers of the bed. Rayne ran to the body and she gently shook it but there was no response.

"Therese?" Rayne asked tentatively. She gave the girl another firm shake but then Rayne heard a noise behind her. Before she could react, ice-cold fingers grabbed her face from both sides, the nails pricking her skin like needles.

"So you've come for me now haven't you, you little brat?"

With unbelievable strength, Patricia lifted Rayne off her feet and she dropped her trowel. With hands still clenched around the girl's face like a vice, Patricia threw her onto the floor, the impact causing her Aura Sense to "shut off". As Rayne got up to face her attacker in the blackness, a powerful slap stung her left cheek. Desperate, Rayne immediately "turned on" her Aura Sense again only to see nothing. Where the hell was Patricia? That question was immediately answered by a clawed hand that came swooping down upon her back.

The sharp, claw like nails only scratched Rayne, because her wool jacket, despite being made of cheap material, was quite thick. With quick reflexes, Rayne spun around and grabbed the offending hand and snapped its wrist like a twig. A howl of pain shook the house as if it were in an earthquake from the mouth by a green illuminated Patricia. Her fangs were bared and her eyes were glowing an even more intense golden-yellow than Clayton's had been. She snarled at Ranye like a tiger.

"You trampy little bitch! Look what you did to my hand!"

Rayne stared at the wound she had caused; she really did twist it hard because she could see a tear in the green flesh that bled dull, dark red blood in her Aura Sense. Rayne gave the woman a smirk, not caring if the enraged vampiress could see it and then she snorted out a sarcastic apology.

"Sorry. Just be happy I didn't tear your arm off like I did to your monster asshole of a son."

Patricia seemed to stop for a minute, before, to Rayne's surprise; she smiled with her fangs bared sinisterly.

"I did hear some muffled screaming coming from the basement, knew it was Clayton's because most of the trash he brought down there had some really, shrill fucking voices and he kept them alive longer just to annoy me with them."

Rayne wasn't surprised yet hearing how Patricia called those poor unfortunate souls who were killed in that basement before tonight as trash and insulting them was very infuriating. She thought of those little fingers poking out of the cold concrete, white as chalk, seemingly trying to pull its body out of the ground and out of that cold, miserable place. Then she remembered that besides the poor children who were taken down there, there were other victims whom Clayton stated were his mother's "pets" and that she kept them in cages.

"Where are your vampires?" Rayne demanded.

"What?" Patricia said bemusedly.

"You know what I'm talking about you goddamned bitch!" Rayne delivered the words with such force, that Patricia's head went back in a defensive reflex, her eyes wide and brimming with surprised anger. Rayne glared back at her and replied:

"I killed a vampire of yours last night right after he killed two people. In his dying breath, he mentioned your name and before your son kicked the bucket, he told me you had "pets". So where are they?"

Patricia stared at this girl, not knowing what to make of her. She then smirked and let go of her injured wrist and let both hands swing at both sides of her body and an eerie smile crept upon her face.

"You really want to see them?" she said in an equally eerie happy tone.

Rayne nodded.

"But first, let me turn on a light." Patricia walked over to a to her nightstand and turned on her Tiffany lamp, the room was now illuminated in its warm glow. Rayne turned off her Aura Sense. Patricia walked over to a self-portrait of herself possibly during her younger days, she pulled the picture from the wall like a small door, and there was a brass button the size of a man's fist. She then pushed it and a piece of the wall next to the portrait opened up. Patricia then gestured towards the entrance.

"Right this way."

Rayne slowly made her way to the door, stopping to pick up her trowel from the foot of the bed and she noticed that the "person" under the sheets was just a collection of pillows. Patricia noticed her discovery and laughed.

" I knew you would be coming up here dear, so I made some preparations. Your friend is in here."

Rayne followed the woman into the hidden room. As she entered the room, stagnant, stuffy air that was spiced with the scents of blood, bodily waste, and decay assaulted Rayne's nose. No wander why Patricia burnt incense around the house. Meanwhile, Patricia had pulled a string to turn on the bare light bulb that hung in the middle of the room. Its light cast eerie shadows of the cage bars and the wretched inhabitants on the walls, making it look like their prisons seem much larger and more intimidating to Rayne. As the girl looked around, she found the source of decaying scent;

In one cage, there was the battered; half eaten remains of a human torso, a woman in fact to Rayne's observation of the breasts still intact but barely on the chest. She could also see the remnants of severed limbs and pieces of flesh in the other filthy, bloodstained cages.

"Huh, damn things haven't finished their dinner. All that trouble of dismembering that useless little bitch was for nothing. Oh, and if you were wandering dear, since you seem to care so much for the little people, that was a maid that my escapee vampire, Forrest, killed when he got out. She stupidly left his cage unlocked and he saw the opportunity, got out, bashed her skull in, and ran off. Thankfully it was night time, and not many people were out to see his flight."

Rayne remembered that Clayton had mentioned that a maid had been killed, but that was in the past, she had to find Therese. There were four cages in all but finding her had to be easy. Rayne slowly walked by to the center of the room and observed the cages; she could hear low growls and moaning coming from the beasts inside. They were huddled at the back of their cells draping cheap, dirty cotton blankets over them for warmth even though the room was hot enough as it was. At the cage to her bottom left, under those blankets though, Rayne could see the cocoa colored head and hand of Therese and she immediately went towards the cage.

"Therese? Therese!" Rayne cried out to her, shaking the bars of the cage. The girl didn't budge at first but then, she slowly swiveled her head to face Rayne only to show that she had the same blank, chalk white eyes that Forrest had. Rayne's grip on the bars slipped in despair. She was too late, but this wasn't to be unexpected though.

"Her blood tasted good for a Negro."

Rayne turned to see Patricia smiling at her. She was taking pleasure in Rayne's despair. Rayne decided that she had had enough of this woman; she drew the trowel in front of her and charged like a knight with his lance towards her. However, Patricia simply stepped aside and grabbed Rayne by the collar of her jacket with her now completely healed hand and held her at arms length. A frustrated Rayne proceeded to stab the arm that held her much to Patricia's annoyance.

"You know, I believe that I've just had about enough of you!"

The woman then walked casually over to Therese's cage, and with a simple stare, unlocked and opened the door and threw Rayne inside. Just as she was getting up, Patricia locked the door the same way telepathically.

"What the hell?!"

Rayne couldn't believe what had just happened.

"Oh, you don't know dear? Pure vampires have the ability to command the lock of every door and gate they come across. Some half-breeds like yourself are lucky if they get that power, but sadly it seems you are bereft of it. How sad," she said mockingly.

So that was how Clayton had locked the basement door from the outside. Rayne shook the bars angrily and screamed in frustration as Patricia smiled smugly. Just then a deep, guttural groan filled the cage and Rayne turned to see that Therese was crawling towards her, her left hand held out to grab her ankle. Rayne could only press herself to the door, she had nowhere to run. Patricia laughed.

"Ha, ha, look at that, she really likes you…" she said as the poor girl crawled after Rayne.

"I'm sorry to cut this short dears, but I must be going. I am so tired of this city; it's streets crawling with frauds and beggars, and the middle class not knowing their place in society. I'm going to a place with a little more class and dignity than this one. London or Paris perhaps. Too bad Clayton can't join me; I really did enjoy him and his boyish charms while they lasted."

Rayne could only hear snippets of this since she was trying to fight off the advances of Therese and her strong hands. Patricia then glided over to her room and came back with a gas lamp. She stopped to put the lamp down and went to collect a bunch of blankets from around the room and then proceeded to throw them around this way and that until the place was carpeted. She then took the lamp in both hands and walked back to the entrance. Rayne, peeking through fingers, froze when she saw the woman carrying the lamp and the current state of the room. Patricia then stopped to turn around and held the lamp high above her head, and with a gigantic grin she said;

"Before I go though dears, I bid you all adieu. I'm sure you will die from breathing in the smoke before the fire kills you all."

And with that, Patricia threw the lamp at the farthest wall.

The glass broke into pieces as oil spilled onto the floor, igniting into an inferno the second the lit wick touched it. The fire spread to the direction of the oil splatter and soon the room was filling with smoke as Patricia made her exit, closing the door behind her. The sounds of screaming filled the room as the fire crept closer and closer to the cages, the sparks landing this way and that like little arrows from hell. Therese was so scared of the flames that she let go of Rayne in order to cower in a corner. Rayne began to desperately shake the cage door to no avail; she tried to bend the bars but the heat made them too hot to touch, causing Rayne to wince in pain. Suddenly a spark flew into the air and landed on Rayne's coat, causing a fist-sized flame to burst out, but the girl managed to get it off and bat it against the bars to put it out even though it was futile.

The screams of a vampire now engulfed in flames scared Rayne as she tried desperately to think of a way out. She then remembered how she broke down the basement door after Clayton's death by doing an odd backflip kick. This cage didn't have enough room for that kind of assault, but a kick powered by her dhampir muscles would do the trick. Rayne had to act fast, now. She positioned herself in front of the door, and with not one, not two, but three powerful kicks, the door broke down.

As soon as she walked out, the flames reached Therese, the girl Rayne had gone through hell and high water to save. She screamed the most bloodcurdling shriek Rayne had ever heard. She tried to go in, but the heat and fact that her shirt could be set ablaze from the fire that now wrapped Therese alarmed her. But Rayne thought that it would be wrong for her suffer, so she braved the now heat glowing cage and walked over to the frantic vampire. She thrashed and screamed with the other damned souls who were being burned alive. With lighting quick hands however, Therese's suffering was ended by the snapping of her neck at Rayne's hands, which were slightly burnt by the fire.

Now it was time to escape, the other vampires were beyond any form of help now. Rayne ran towards the wall and with a powerful jump, she kicked down the wall only to be greeted with more flames. Patricia had intended to burn down all evidence of her and her son's crimes along with the house. At the corner of her eye however, Rayne saw a window, revealed after a piece of burning drapery fell down. With her human adrenaline, Rayne sprinted towards the window and jumped through the glass and onto the backyard below. The cold November air felt so refreshing after being in that flaming hellhole.

As Rayne stood up, she could hear the shouts and chatter of curious onlookers and the ringing of the firemen's bell coming to put out the blaze. But the one sound that caught her attention was the sound of wings flapping. Rayne looked up to see a dark shadow faintly silhouetted by the light of the flames as it glided up into the starry, night sky. It looked to liked a giant bat.

Patricia!

Rayne wasted no time; she leapt over the fence and ran through the streets, not caring if people saw her. She kept her eyes on the sky trying to trail the bat. Whenever she lost sight of it, Rayne put on her Aura Sense in order to track it. She managed to follow it all the way to the Manhattan docks. Rayne came to a complete halt at the edge of the wharf and could only watch helplessly as the creature flew off into the night over the Hudson and towards the Atlantic.

"Goddamn it!" Rayne cursed to herself.

She had to get Patricia; she had to kill her before anyone else gets hurt. But first, she had to collect herself. Her body was wracked with exhaustion, her legs quaked and her hands trembled. She was dead tired, but her mind was active with numerous plans and schemes. She remembered that Patricia said that she was going to London or Paris so that was a start, she was at the docks so Rayne decided to find a ship that was headed to anywhere near Europe.

Amidst the palely lit docks, was a warehouse and it seemed to be empty, except for one faintly lit window. Rayne snuck over to one of the windows on the side of the building and she could see a well-dressed man tending to a book, possibly a manifest. The man looked at a gold pocket watch even though there was a clock that was clearly illuminated by a lamp on his desk on the wall that said 1: 30 AM. The man got up tiredly, put a coat on, and turned off his lamp and left, locking the door behind him. Rayne crouched down further into the shadows as the man passed her by.

When she deemed it safe, Rayne tried the window and to her surprise, it was unlocked. Talk about negligence. She went to the desk and turned on the lamp to read the book. It was written in very sloppy handwriting and it was a little hard to read. But she was able to make out one entry:

**Ship Name: **The _Unicorn_

**Type of Ship: **General Cargo Vessel

**Cargo List: **Furniture, dried produce, and mechanical parts.

**Destination: **Bournemouth, England

**Embark Date: **December 1, 1929 5:00 AM

**Expected Date of Arrival: **December 5, 1929/ 8:00 AM GMT (Greenwich Mean Time) / 3:00 AM EST (Eastern Standard Time)

**Moored at: **Dock AE-1

**Loading begins at: **3:00 AM

Perfect Rayne thought. But her joy was short-lived when she heard the approach of hurried footsteps and muffled swearing. She turned off the lamp and hid beneath the desk. The sound of the lock being jiggled by a key held with a shaky hand resounded through the office. But the key finally found the right fit and the door swung open and the same well-dressed man came bounding in. He stormed over to the small flight of stairs near the desk and a filing cabinet.

He opened a secret door at the stairs and procured a bundle wrapped in brown cloth. A bottle of bourbon in fact as the man pulled back the cloth to look at his illegal prize with a smile. He closed the door and left as quickly as he appeared, forgetting to lock the window and this time the door. What an idiot. Rayne eased out of her hiding place and immediately left to find the dock the _Unicorn _was at.

After what seemed like hours of searching the labyrinth of identical docks and ships of various sizes, she found the _Unicorn_. There was a gangway connected to the dock and the deck of the ship but Rayne didn't want to be spotted. She saw a large amount of crates on the docks and she proceeded to open the lid of one that had the name London printed on its side and dove next to a china cabinet that was lying inside. After waiting for two hours, loading began, and Rayne could feel the crate being loaded into the ships hold and eventually, felt the ship begin to move with the howl of her horn.

She was off to England.

**Well, Rayne is off to the United Kingdom. This is the end of the first arc of the story. The next chapters will describe Rayne's journey to England and most importantly, her meeting Professor Trumain for the first time. Please enjoy. And _review! :)_**


	9. Chapter 9: Welcome to England

**Author's Note: Suggestive themes and drug use ahead.**

**Arc 2: Blood and Woe**

**_From the __Bournemouth docks to London_**

**_4 days later_**

_"Waves… the sound of waves… gently washing against the dock… A beautiful sunset… The cawing of seagulls making their last rounds before retiring to their nests… A lone girl is there… Her fire red hair flows gently in the sea breeze… _

_The moment is peaceful, calm, serene… The girl closes her eyes with a smile… taking it all in… It was as if both life and all its worries and concerns had vanished and she was the only being there, on the dock, in the whole world… A hand gently touches the girl's shoulder…_

_ "Rayne, its time to go now. Your cousins are waiting…" _

_ The girl hesitantly opens her eyes with a sad smile… She sighs…_

_ "Okay Momma, lets go…" her sentence comes to a halt as she turns to face her mother… But she is not there… neither are her cousins… her grandparents… her aunts and uncles… _

_Her whole family… gone… The dock stretches on forever and ever… with no end in sight except for the view of the Atlantic… Nothing… all alone… _

_ The setting sun stains the ocean with red light… Turning it into a sea of blood… Like the Nile when God inflicted his vicious plagues on the Egyptian people… Rayne now stares at this eternal vermillion… Her fangs taste the salt of this blood red sea… and the salt of her own tears… _

_Flowing from her crimson eyes…_

The loud blast of the ship's horn filled the surrounding sea as the ship approached the Bournemouth docks, startling Rayne from her slumber and her colorful dream. It was so strange and vivid and yet, so peaceful. But it also stirred a hunger in Rayne, a hunger for human blood. She could feel tears running down her face and she promptly wiped them away. After what happened to her mother, Rayne had sworn to herself that she would never take the blood of others for the sake of her own nourishment, but with cravings like these… It was likely this abstinence was not going to last much longer.

She grudgingly got up from her nest of canvas and discarded newspapers and stretched her arms. Her little "bed" was nestled in an empty space in the middle of a bunch of crates. It was better than sleeping in a crate or in the dank corners of the hold though. The ship seemed to be slowing down and Rayne was relieved. Over the four days of being at sea, Rayne learned two things about herself and one thing about the life of a sailor.

_A_, for starters, she hated dried fruit. After four days of eating a diet consisting of dried cranberries, apples, and peaches to make up for the lack of rats, Rayne would puke if she saw another piece of dehydrated produce again. _B_, life at sea made men really, really horny. As she hid amongst the cargo, two men, Horace and Phil, visited the hold. The conversations of these two usually consisted of sex, contraband, and more sex.

Hell, they even had a secret stash of pornographic magazines hidden under a wooden pallet. Oh the one-day Rayne wished she were deaf when she heard the physical plight of these men as they boasted and lamented about the big breasted women that seemed to only exist in those magazines and the fantasies of men. And finally, _C_, she really hated the sea. The first day was rough; the waves tossed the ship as if it were a toy boat in a bathtub with an overactive child splashing and diving into the water, creating the waves. Eventually the Atlantic calmed down, but the swaying of the hold made Rayne seasick numerous times. Even sipping some water from a puddle created from a pipe leak made her nauseous as well as burn her fingers and lips slightly.

But the shores of England were now in sight, and Rayne's maritime experience was finally over.

As soon as the ship docked, Rayne went back to the crate she used to get into the ship. After awhile, she could feel her crate get pulled out of the ship and slid onto the stone docks. Sea gull cries and chatter made up of both American and British accents, the ringing of bells, the sound of the waves, it sounded like a busy place. Rayne looked out of a small hole and the saw the diverse classes of men, ranging from the dockworkers, sailors, captains, dock managers, and businessmen all walking about to do their jobs. However, there was one man that alarmed Rayne.

It was a man that seemed a little too fancy for working at the dock, he wore a black dinner jacket and ugly yellow, plaid pants, very shiny shoes, his hair was slicked back with oil, and he wore a monocle over his right eye. He held a clipboard in his right hand as he pointed to several boxes and a group of men went to open them and check their contents. He was an inspector here to look for illegal contraband, and Rayne's crate was amongst the lineup he was checking. Crap with a capital c! However it seemed that Lady Luck was on her side today, for as the inspector and his men were checking a box close to Rayne's, they made quite the surprising discovery.

A monkey jumped out of the crate and began to wreak havoc on the docks. Workers and managers alike stopped to either stare or chase after the poor primate who was spending its anxious energy jumping from crate to crate wandering where the hell it was. It got to Rayne's crate and the creature's wrinkly face tried to poke through the hole, shrieking all the while, scaring Rayne, making her fall backward and causing her foot to go through the bottom of the crate, sending splinters and oddly enough, a fine yellowish powder into the air. Rayne tried to muffle her sneeze but it was likely that no could hear her over the conundrum with the monkey. But soon the creature was caught and the _Unicorn's _crew was being questioned to find out who was trying to smuggle the monkey into England.

"Poor thing…" Rayne thought, how did that monkey get onboard? She didn't remember hearing Horace and Phil talk about smuggling over a monkey. A sudden jolt startled her again and it shook up more of the strange powder from the bottom of the crate. Rayne felt that a crane was lifting her up. As quickly as she ascended, she descended. It was a nervous feeling, hoping that the cranes strength held and that she wouldn't fall to her death, but she landed safely.

The powder sifted up again and this time Rayne took a closer look. It was a drug of some kind, hidden in brown paper wrapping under a false bottom. She remembered when Horace and Phil had their conversations; they had mentioned that one of them was sneaking over some opium that was made in the Manhattan Chinatown to the black market in London. She had heard stories from preachers and old ladies at the soup kitchens talking about the evils of opium, how it made you lazy, Godless, beat your wife, sell your children, and how you basically forfeited your own soul to the devil. And it was hidden in Rayne's crate and she just inhaled some of it. **Double.** **Fucking.** **Crap…**

And to make it worse, she was starting to feel a little funny…

As the effects of the opium began to take over, Rayne's crate was loaded unto a train and it began its journey to London. The opium dulled Rayne's senses and softened her nerves as if they were wrapped in soft silk. It was a beautiful feeling, a feeling she hadn't felt since her mother was alive… during the innocent days when Rayne thought she was human. It made her happy.

Eventually the effects began to die down and Rayne wanted that nostalgic high again, so she inhaled more of the opium. In the dark, cramped crate that rattled with the train as it sped off to London, Rayne was in her own world. It was a world were she was just a little kid again, playing hopscotch on the sidewalk with some of the neighborhood girls, going on walks in Central Park with her mother, bubble baths with the sweet-scented herbs, great-grandma Ellen's chiffon cake with big, ripe strawberries for her birthdays, her butterfly collection which was made possible with patience and persistence, and with some help from her cousins. All these wonderful things she couldn't have anymore… because of her father. The memory would creep in like a virus when the opium's effects began to wane.

Rayne wanted to have more but she knew this was bad and she tried to stop herself from taking in more. After what seemed an eternity, the train reached London at dusk. How did she know? Even in her opium-clouded mind, she could feel her crate moving out of the train car. She could hear voices and the shuffling of feet from outside and even the muffled noises of city life coming into her crate.

As she regained some control of her brain, Rayne willed herself to remember her reason for being in England, to kill Patricia Gordon, if she was even here… The young girl crawled out of her box with stiff muscles and aching joints. Besides her physical woes, Rayne's mind was in a state of quiet chaos. She was dizzy and her eyes were seeing impossible shapes and colors in every direction. With a mixture of reluctance and inertia, Rayne took uneasy steps out of the train station. Some eyes followed her while others chose to look blissfully away, believing she was a beggar child and was beneath their lofty notice.

Upon leaving the train station, Rayne's nose and ears were assaulted with the elements of the city: the smells of gasoline, smoke from the chimneys, potatoes being baked and sold by street vendors, the sounds of car and truck horns competing with the whinny of horses, people talking and shouting in many versions of British accents, hawkers selling cheap hats, toys, hot food, and cigars. But in her opium-induced euphoria it was all like a watercolor painting, everything going together in soft, feathery strokes of light and color. It was calm and peaceful. Rayne could only smile as she walked down the steps and into the street. She absentmindedly bumped into people, ignoring their curses without a care in the world. Nothing seemed to matter to Rayne anymore.

However the opium effects were now nonexistent and now she was experiencing one of the side effects of the drug, hallucinations. The people were suddenly pallid beings with red eyes, shadows ducking in an out of the population, the dusk sky turning the sinister blue gray of an incoming thunder storm. Then Rayne heard an evil laugh echoing across the ancient streets. She turned to see Patricia walking with a man, her arm wrapped around his. The man was Kagan!

An intense fire was ignited within Rayne's soul. Her dhampir blood heated with fury, Rayne ran after the couple with an inhuman scream and she plunged her claws into the back of her father. Her claws went deep into his winter coat, prompting an agonized yelp from Kagan. Patricia turned to her beau's attacker only for Rayne to try and slash her belly. But before she could do anything, a large hand grabbed her.

Rayne turned to face her attacker whose face was twisted with red eyes that graced a demonic face with pointed fangs. She screamed at him to go away, but it had no effect. A sudden whack on the head caused Rayne to see black and all she could feel was a sense that she falling into the darkness.

**One trippy chapter huh? She is now in England, but sadly with a bad start! Keep on reading and please review! :)**


	10. Chapter 10: The Romani Rescuer

**Author's Note: Racist language and profanity ahead.  
**

**_London Police Station_**

**_8:00 PM_**

"So what was her problem? That couple are at a loss for what had happened…"

The cockney accent rang through Rayne's sore head like a hammer on a nail.

"From the look of her eyes, the little lass seems to have taken some drugs…"

The darkness was still there but life was slowly crawling back into Rayne's body.

"A druggie, at her age Mack?"

"Still the novice I see. Terry even children can take drugs. Speaking of which, in my experience, I believe she has taken opium."

God her sinuses ached, her joints ached, her whole body ached.

"So she's just some homeless kid?"

"Not from here, her accent is American."

The darkness began to lift from Rayne's eyes slowly.

"A bloody yankee girl here in London all by herself? How's that possible?"

"I'd hate to know mate, she was probably kidnapped by a triad. Those Orientals like their girls young you see. Probably gave her opium to make her dumb and meek…"

"I don't want to hear anymore, Mack. Please."

"Alright then, back to your duties Terry. Oh look, it appears Walter and Marvin have brought us a carnival…"

The darkness was gone and Rayne slowly got to her feet. She was sitting on a hard cot in a prison cell with dingy, soot stained brick walls whose only light source came from the gas lamp hanging on the wall adjacent to the bars that caged her in. Upon closer examination, she could see that she had neighbors. One man in a white nightgown was pacing his cell floor rather nervously, mumbling gibberish (the telltale sign that he wasn't quite right in the head), a man in the cell next door to the pacer was snoring loudly on his cot and he wasn't alone, a very pretty yet pale woman in scarlet clothing sat in there with a bored face, her only amusement being her cigarette from which she took long drawn out puffs every few minutes. There were probably more but Rayne didn't really care to know.

She heard the policeman's voice again. She could hear it even amongst the muffled din of traffic coming from the lobby. Its entrance stood out from the dark and dank prison hall with its bright warm light.

"Oh evein Miss Nadya."

"Hello constable Terry…"

The voice was of that of a woman, it wasn't British though, and it was an accent Rayne had never heard of before, even in the linguistically diverse city of New York. It was very exotic.

"I am very interested in the girl you have recently taken in…"

"What girl?"

"The red headed one Terry…" a hint of frustration was in the voice.

Rayne looked up in confusion and surprise. She was pretty sure she was the only red head in the jail right now and what did this person want with her? The chatter continued:

"What would Professor Trumain want with this child? She attacked two people out in the middle of the street tonight. She could be a lunatic for all we know…"

"Oh, God…" Rayne thought to herself with a shudder. She attacked people? This was horrible.

"Hush Terry, I will have none of it. The reason why I wish to acquire this girl is between the professor and me. And furthermore, I am not going to let her spend one night in this gaol. The beddings here probably haven't been changed since Jack the Ripper was on the prowl…"

There was a faint thump on a wooden surface.

"Now here is the money for her bail. It was a wild guess but I suppose 300 pound sterling aught to cover it."

There was some silence until Terry spoke again.

"I do believe your right Miss Nadya! Come along, right this way…"

Along came two figures that emerged from the doorway with the sounds of keys jingling like bells. Constable Terry was in a very fine police uniform and a woman who wore a pork pie hat, very light brown jacket, a black skirt and an apron as well as two dangling loop earrings. As they got closer, Rayne could see the woman's other physical features. She had dark reddish-brown skin, dark lips, jet black hair (which was in a ponytail) and crescent eyebrows that reminded Rayne of Arabian people, big, brown, hawk-like eyes that seemed to piece through Terry and Rayne. The woman was very beautiful.

"Ahh! Young miss, your awake!" said Terry as he unlocked the door. "Since she's awake, Miss Nadya, I think me and the boys should keep her overnight for questioning to see where she came from and all…"

"No Terry, I paid her bail. If you and this station have any complaints, talk to the professor."

And with that, the woman walked into Rayne's cell. Rayne hesitated at the woman's height. The lady looked down on Rayne and with a smile, she reached out her hand.

"Hello dear, my name is Nadya Trumain, you can just call me Nadya though. What's yours?"

Rayne instantly calmed down at the second she said a kind word.

"Rayne."

"Rayne? What a pretty name."

Nadya then lowered her head to Rayne's ear and whispered:

"I know what you did and what you are but you are safe. Don't worry."

Rayne's eyes got wide. "How do you…"

Rayne's words were caught off as the woman pulled her hand and lead her out of that dingy cell.

"Come along dear, I am taking you with me."

Upon reaching the prison lobby, Rayne could see it was going to be crowded tonight. Besides the policeman going in and out, there were visitors and the new prisoners that consisted of drunkards, who slurred their speech and stunk of alcohol, prostitutes whose faces were slathered with so much plaster thick make-up, that they looked like cheap porcelain dolls, thieves whose eyes darted between the cheap jewelry of the hookers to the pockets and wallets of visitors and policemen, and wife beaters, who glared angrily at nothing and everyone, cheeks red, fists clenched, ready to strike again. They cursed under their breath, cursing their women folk for turning them in and whining about how "unappreciated" they are by them, probably promising themselves to hit harder next time. The din was broken by shouts from one of the convicts.

"Oy, what's that gypsy whore doing with that little girl?!"

Rayne and Nadya turned to see that it was red-faced man with greasy hair yelling at them. Rayne saw that the man had a fake right arm. It was an uncomfortable looking contraption that was strapped around his shoulder and the small remains of his arm and it finished at a sinister looking hook hand. And even creepier, both the hook and his real hand had dried blood on them. He looked like a scary man.

"Winston, leave those women alone." Came Terry's voice.

"Shut up! Can't any you fools see that pickey* is taking that girl away to be sold?"

"What?" Rayne was getting nervous.

"Its okay dear." Nadya was being very calm despite the racial slurs that Winston was throwing at her.

"Winston, would you please shut up! I'm trying to sleep!" It was from one of the prostitutes, she was leaning on a fellow hooker with a jacket draped over her like a blanket. Winston then turned to her and yelled.

"Shut your cock sucking mouth you stupid whore!"

The policeman called for his fellow officers to escort Winston to his cell.

"You lock an honest, hardworking man like me, but you allow this gyp to walk off with a child! You should arrest her, and my stupid, useless, Pollock wife as well!"

A policeman spoke up.

"First off Winston, your wife is in a hospital because of you, and second, you have been on the dole** since you lost your arm in the Great War, so shut up and lets go! Nice and easy now..."

But Winston wasn't finished. The man suddenly escaped the grasps of the officers. Despite being in cuffs, he charged Nadya. But as the man got closer, Nadya swung out her left arm in a perfect swinging uppercut to Winston's chin. The sound of bone cracking and teeth being broken rang in Rayne's ears.

The man crumbled on to his knees in pain as officers swarmed him. Rayne looked at Nadya in amazement to see her so calm. Surly that strike had to have hurt her hand but, to Rayne's astonishment, her hand was gone! The hand was instead lying on the hard wooden floor; the glove covering it had specks of blood and saliva on it. Letting go of Rayne's hand, Nadya bent down and casually picked it up, as if it was everyday that her hand dropped off. It was obviously a fake but still…

Quickly reattaching the limb to her arm, Nadya and Rayne briskly walked out of the station. It was late at night and it was windy and flurrying, but the winter air refreshed Rayne's body and mind. The two went to a black car parked in front. Nadya opened the door and gestured Rayne in. Rayne slid onto the clean, smooth leather seats that smelled of polish and Nadya soon followed.

"Lets go home Geoffrey."

"Yes mam."

Soon the car sped off. Rayne looked out the window and saw London decorated for the Christmas season. Shop windows glistening with amber light, displaying their wares of clothes, toys, and holiday cakes to all who had the spirit. The cakes made Rayne hungry, and as if she could read her mind, Nadya reached into one of her coat pockets and pulled out something wrapped in newspaper. Underneath that warm paper, was a meat pie. Rayne, who hadn't eaten any proper food or blood in four days, devoured the pie within seconds. She was licking off the buttery crumbs from her fingers when she saw the wide-eyed look of her rescuer.

"Sorry," she said, putting her hands down in shame, "I was just really hungry…"

Nadya smiled. "I know…"

Then Rayne remembered what Nadya had whispered to her in the jail. Upon asking what she had meant by it, Nadya simply responded by gently rubbing the girl's head. The soothing fingers relaxed Rayne and soon her eyelids began to grow heavy with sleep. As she tucked herself in with her head on Nadya's lap, she could hear Nadya's soothing voice.

"That's right, sleep little Rayne. Your questions will all be answered in the morning…"

Rayne did as told and she closed her eyes. Soon, Nadya began to sing a lullaby in a strange language that Rayne had never heard of before. And soon, she was fast asleep.

***Racial slur against the Romani. Originated in England.**

**** Welfare.**

**In the next chapter, Rayne will meet Professor Trumain and a few of her half-siblings. Things are finally looking up for our budding heroine! **


	11. Chapter 11: Professor Trumain

**_English Countryside, Trumain Manor_**

**_Morning_**

Upon awakening, Rayne's eyes were stung by the morning sunlight that poured through the windows. She soon saw that she was in a bed with very expensive looking woodwork, and the softest sheets she had ever been in. The room was beautiful too with its green walls, paintings of beautiful beach scenes, and an exquisite grandfather clock, and a vanity in between the windows that said 7:45. Rayne got out of bed and walked over to the window. She could see that it had snowed quite heavily last night as the tree branches outside were decked out with thick clumps of white that magnified the morning sun's light. But as Rayne stood in the sunlight, she felt a strange sensation tingling on her skin.

She didn't know what it could be. Maybe withdrawal from using opium yesterday? A knock on the door made her turn to see Nadya coming in wearing a maid's outfit. Without her gloves, Rayne could see her cream colored prosthetic left hand in contrast against her real reddish, brown one.

"Good morning Miss Rayne!" she said with a smile, "How did you sleep?"

"Very good thank you, but where am I mam?"

"You are at the Trumain manor. The official residence of Professor Sir Henry Eugene Trumain IX."

"Wow, lots of Trumain's." Rayne thought. Nadya spoke again.

"Miss Rayne, breakfast will be served at 8:30 this morning. Your questions will be answered at the table and you will meet the professor and the others there."

"Others? Mr. Trumain's family?" Ranye asked curiously.

"Yes, but first, I am going to take you to the washroom. I don't mean to be rude, but you don't look very well kept."

Without thinking, Rayne ran her fingers into her red hair, feeling the heavy, saturated locks and sniffed her fingers with disdain. Upon realizing what she was doing, Rayne swiftly put her hands down in embarrassment. With a sigh, Nadya led Rayne out the bedroom and into a beautiful maroon hallway that had a trailing red carpet, portraits of people wearing white wigs and billowing dresses and extravagant uniforms, and for comfort, a pretty red couch that matched the red carpet on the wooden floor. The natural light streaming in from four windows on the left wall illuminated all of this. And upon reaching the bathroom, Rayne was even more amazed!

It sparkled with cleanliness and smelled like it too. The pristine white bathtub stood in a quiet nook with a small frosted window and a shelf with soaps, shampoos and what not's along with a white sink and mirror and a commode. It was a happy looking room. Upon drawing the hot water, Nadya began to, to Rayne's surprise, sprinkle herbs in the water from a small glass jar. Only her mother had done that for her.

After it was done, Nadya stood up, and by holding the herb jar in the crook of her left arm; she was able to fasten the lid back on it. She then gestured for Rayne to get in.

"Your bath is ready for you miss. Now I will leave to give you privacy. Please place your clothes in that hamper there. Also, you can pull the curtain there next to the tub if you want to cover yourself. Please have a nice bath."

And with that, Nadya bowed and left Rayne in the bathroom. Anxious to have her first real bath in three years, Rayne began to take off her clothes. She was shocked by how dirty they were. Her shirt and skirt were bloody and torn from her fight with Clayton and Patricia, her boots were cruddy, and her feet were unbelievably sore from wearing them for a long time. She was surprised that no one had shrieked at the site of her wardrobe, but without ado, she threw the soiled clothes into the hamper and stepped into the tub.

The water was fantastic; it was just the right temperature. For a few minutes, Rayne just sat in the water, enjoying its warmth and the smell of the herbs that had once been a mainstay of her childhood. She could remember her mother giving her baths, rubbing her down with Ivory soap and gently massaging Rexall shampoo and conditioner into her hair. It was a beautiful memory.

But then Rayne remembered that she was going to meet some important people at breakfast so she looked for some soap. There was an unwrapped bar on top of two other soap bars; it was a translucent green and upon closer examination, there appeared to be jasmine flower buds in it. These people had a lot of luxurious tastes! After scrubbing herself and applying two big drops of shampoo on her head, she got out and dried herself with a towel that had the initials of the of Mr. Trumain sewed on. She put on a bathrobe and went back to her room.

Upon entering her room, Rayne saw some neatly folded clothes on the bed. Upon a wool shirt did she see a note in very neat and fancy cursive. It said:

"_Dear Miss Rayne,_

_By the time you read this note, I will be downstairs helping with preparing breakfast for everyone. I hope you like the clothes I picked out for you. Now to get to the dining room, you go straight down the hall we took to reach the washroom, you keep going straight and then you make a right, there is a staircase there, go down all three flights. When you reach the bottom, go straight to the large doors there._

_P.S. I changed the bed for you. I hope you enjoy it tonight!_

_-Nadya Trumain_"

After reading the instructions, Rayne got dressed and did as told. The whole place was quiet with the exception of Rayne's footsteps coming down the steps. As soon as she got to the bottom, she went straight towards the mahogany doors and opened them to a massive dining room, complete with a long table covered in an immaculate white tablecloth, candle sticks, plates, glasses, and silverware, cabinets and drawers with china and other dining room commodities, and to top it all off, a big silver chandelier hung from and elegantly decorated ceiling.

"Wow," Rayne said as she craned her neck to all the beauty. There were maids and servants led by Nadya in there as well. Each person was tending to the table top accessories, laying down the silverware, glasses, and napkins . Upon seeing Rayne, she pulled out a chair for her.

"Have a seat Miss Rayne." She said. Rayne went over to her and sat down on the plush cushioned chair.

"Your early, it is only 8:15. The others will be in eventually. Now in the meantime, can I get you anything to drink? We have milk, water, and orange juice."

"Milk please."

Nadya left to do as told as most of the other servants began to leave the massive room. She came back a glass of milk along with two servants who brought in pitchers of beverages to fill the glasses just as more people came in. The first to come in were a young man and woman who were blond haired and blue eyed, each of them wearing black clothes with white, lacey frills for the girl, followed by a dark skinned boy with black hair and dark olive green eyes, a little auburn haired girl who was as cute as a button, and finally a really tall young man with dark brown hair wearing clothes from a different time period. It was quite the gathering. Following after them was a much older man, with fluffy white hair and a mustache came in.

He took his place at the end of the table behind a large portrait of a man wearing the garb of a hunter, his musket and foxhound close by his side.

The old man looked at his entourage and when he turned to Rayne he smiled. It made Rayne blush and he merely chuckled and turned back to the others.

"Good morning everyone."

"Good morning." They all said.

"This morning, dears, I have the pleasure of introducing a newcomer to our home."

He turned to Rayne again.

"What's your name young miss?"

Rayne hesitated a bit.

"It's Rayne."

The man nodded. "A splendid names my dear."

"My name is Sir Henry Trumain, but everyone just calls me Professor Trumain or Sir Trumain." He then gestured to the young blond couple. "These are twins Gabriel and Gabriella."

"How do you do." The two said in unison.

"This young man is Hashim."

The dark skinned boy waved hello with a soft "Hi".

"This little sprite's name is Holly."

"Hi there!" Holly was quite the enthusiastic one.

"And finally, this fine young man is Matthias."

The oddly dressed man bowed his head saying, "How do you do."

"And of course you have met Nadya."

Nadya nodded in response. The professor continued in a jovial fashion.

"Now that we have gotten to know each other. Lets say grace and then we eat."

Everyone including Rayne clasped their hands in prayer, head held down, and they all began to recite the Lord's Prayer, except Rayne. But it seemed that the grace was just a formality since the professor and the others were more interested in the morning was coming their way, evidenced by the fact that Rayne saw their eyes darting toward the doors. With a ring of a bell from Nadya, the servants came back again and this time bringing in huge covered, silver platters. Oh, what a sight to behold when the lids were lifted!

There were scrambled eggs, bacon, butter and toast, muffins, hash browns, grilled tomatoes, sautéed mushrooms, sausages, and baked beans. The aromas were heavenly. Servants then began to spoon on the servings on to the plates. One servant walked around holding a metal basket holding two mason jars that contained grape and strawberry or raspberry jelly, asking if anyone wanted any on their toast or muffin. Nadya was filling Rayne's plate, using her prosthetic hand to scoop food onto it while using her real one to hold the plate.

When she was done, the plate was quite full. Rayne couldn't believe her luck! She began spearing her fork into a pile of eggs and buttery mushrooms and began eating in earnest. Besides her bath, this would be her first real breakfast in a long time as well. She had eaten in soup kitchens and a few apples and bread she had bought with nickels she begged from passersby back in New York, but now, she had found Nirvana.

The food was fantastic! Everything tasted wonderful. She tried to contain herself as she ate, hoping to be discreet and courteous around these people. But before she knew it, she was asking for seconds of eggs and bacon as well as muffins with jelly. Rayne began to get fuller and fuller, her belly growing tight and hard in response. Rayne decided enough was enough and she put her fork down in defeat.

The servants began to clear everything up and leave for the kitchen, Trumain stood up from his chair with uneasy strength, having spent most of it consuming his meal.

"Mathias, please get the cups, it is time for tea…"

Rayne sighed in defeat. How could they have tea after this?!

Mathias got up and walked over to a cabinet behind the children. He took out six enamel cups and began to give them to the twins, the two younger children, Rayne, and finally himself. And then Nadya carrying a tub with ice and a teapot in it. She began to make her rounds; first she stopped at the twins, she poured a red viscous substance out of the pot, which struck Rayne as peculiar. It reminded her of the tomato soup back at Angel's Mercy but this time, Rayne's instincts didn't seem to be lying to her.

As Nadya poured the liquid, she watched as the people stared at their cups, their eyes swimming with anxiousness and their fingers trembling with anticipation. Eventually, she got to Rayne, as soon as she poured the mystery beverage in; a hunger that Rayne had tried to suppress for a long, long time began to creep back with force. She could feel her lips pucker and her teeth retract from her gums, anticipating the taste.

"Come on, not now…" Rayne prayed to herself. Then Mr. Trumain spoke. Neither he nor Nadya had some of this "tea";

"Now that everyone is served. Please drink."

As each person peeled back their lips to drink, Rayne saw their fangs. Her heart nearly stopped.

They were vampires.

Rayne began to panic. What was going on? Little Holly was the first to finish, her eyes glowing red with satisfaction, as did the others after they were done. Rayne hadn't touched hers. She turned to leave when:

"Where do you think your going young lady?"

The question came from the ruby lips of Gabriella. Her voice had a subtle hint of harshness and a bit of a German like accent as well.

"Now, now Gabriella. This is not how we treat family."

"Family? What are you talking about?" Rayne cried.

Trumain sighed.

"Rayne, I know this will be more than a little surprising for you, but, all these people here, excluding Nadya and myself, are your half-siblings."

More than surprising was right. Rayne's heart dropped and she felt the color leave her skin. These people were her half-siblings. It took Rayne a moment to collect herself.

"So, so these guys are related to me?"

"Yes. They are dhampirs like you." Trumain said.

"Is Kagan their…"

"Yes. He is everyone's father except for Gabriel and Gabriella."

Rayne looked confusingly at the twins.

"How could they be…"

"Kagan arranged for their mother, a vampire, to be raped by a deranged man when she rejected him. They are an indirect result of his cruelty. They may not be related by blood, but they are related by circumstance."

By circumstance, he meant that Kagan had affected each of their lives negatively in some way or another. This was all such a shock for Rayne. Now that she thought of it, she noticed that they all had green eyes like hers except for Gabriel and Gabriella who had blue eyes. Rayne fell back onto her chair in disbelief. This was all so sudden.

Suddenly, a question came to Rayne's mind that she had to ask.

"Wait, how did Nadya know I was a dhampir, and that I was related to Kagan?"

Nadya answered.

"I was doing some late night shopping when I saw you attack that couple in the street. I could see your eyes were glowing red and the points of your fangs and when I went to collect you, you had those emerald eyes that Kagan has."

Rayne froze, the very thought of having some resemblance to Kagan made her sick to her stomach.

But, the ever-observant Nadya comforted her.

"Don't worry dear, you are nothing like him. I can see you are just a confused child."

Rayne felt little comfort however. Now everyone's eyes were now on her, staring at her with red eyes. To distract herself from them, Rayne stared at her cup. It was blood all right. Her throat dried and tightened, it desired to be quenched by it. A gentle hand came on her shoulder.

It Trumain. Nadya walked over to Rayne's other side.

"Dear, I know this is all very hard for you. But I know you are strong, you will learn to except yourself and your siblings. Unlike Kagan or his "family", we wont hurt you or force you into anything. But this blood is important to you and your wellbeing."

Nadya leaned in closer and said,

"Rayne you have to drink this. The policeman last night said you had opium. This blood will kill any future addictions for it and it preserve your abilities and yourself tremendously."

Rayne swallowed hard.

"Is it human?"

"Yes." Trumain said, "But the person wasn't killed. I work in laboratory that specializes in the study of blood. This was from a donor."

Rayne hesitantly reached for the cup. As she grabbed it and brought it to her mouth, her mind went back three years ago to that awful night, when Kagan sought to awaken her by having her drink her own mother's blood.

_"__Don't rebel sweetheart. Let it take over. Become a full dhampir. Half human, half vampire, you will be an invaluable asset to my family."_

The words rang through her head like a bad dream that wouldn't end, no matter how hard you tried to wake up. She could hear words of encouragement coming from not just Trumain and Nadya, but also from her half siblings as well. They probably drank their own mother's blood as well. As the cup got closer and closer, the smell of the blood became more intense. Rayne closed her eyes, and in one swift motion, she thrusted the cup to her lips, and began to drink the blood.

The blood felt like the water a traveler lost in the desert drinks after being rescued, it was cold and refreshing. It eased a five-year-old thirst that Rayne thought would never end. She drank the blood to the last drop. She had broken her promise, but she had saved herself as well. She could feel the hands around her grip her shoulders with pride. Professor Trumain spoke;

"That's a good girl, you did it. This is your new home. Welcome to the Trumain family."

**Rayne finally has a new home with the Trumain's! The next chapter will a describe the backgrounds of the new family members, you can look at if you want. I will also add the next chapter which will have a battle in it at the same time too for your enjoyment. Thank you for your time and I hope you enjoyed it! _Please review! :)_**


	12. Chapter 12: The New Family

_**An Informative Chapter** _

After drinking the blood, Rayne felt better. In fact she couldn't have asked for better luck. She had a new home and a new family to look after her and be with. Over time she opened up to her new family and learned many things about them and she learned that they all had one thing shared in common, which was being a dhampir wasn't easy, especially if Kagan was involved somehow in your life. The twins Gabriel and Gabriella (who were born in Belgium) for example, since a human impregnated their mother via rape (on Kagan's order), her family had her children shipped off to the Congo to live on a rubber planation owned by a family friend to avoid shame and scandal. They suffered at the hands of this individual.

He beat them and kept the two locked up in the cellar of his house. His cruelty went further when he had to feed the twins. Whenever one of his native workers failed to collect enough rubber sap, he would throw him or her into the cellar to the starved twins instead of cutting off their hands like most rubber plantation owners would have done. Professor Trumain's father rescued them in 1892. This all happened thirty-seven years ago, but the twins looked like they were nineteen years old. Despite their horrible experiences, the twins were content and happy with their lives at the manor and they fawned over each other with appropriate sibling affection.

Hashim (who was twelve) was born to a Moroccan mother who was raped viscously by Kagan. Rejected before he was even born, his mother tried to kill him while he was still in the womb and even after birth, he had to be given over to a relative to avoid being killed by his own mother. When Hashim turned ten, Kagan came and murdered his mother's whole family. When his father had him drink his mother's blood, Hashim had no problem doing it; in fact, the only member of his family he grieved for was his one female cousin, the only person who treated him like a human being. The others just treated him like he was a nuisance.

From this story, Rayne learned that the murder of her mother and her family was a so-called "policy" of Kagan's. After the birth of his dhampir child, that child is watched over by Kagan's spies who reported back to him on the child's condition. After the dhampir turns ten years old, Kagan slaughters the family and has his half-breed child drink his or her mother's blood to fully awaken their powers. Knowing the experience full well, Rayne bonded with Hashim, even though he didn't feel much animosity towards his family's deaths. She wandered what her father did with his "pure bred" children.

The youngest was Holly, only five years old. She had the luxury of being placed in an orphanage and never knowing the full emotional baggage of being a child conceived by rape. She would never have to go through Kagan's policy of murdering his dhampir child's family just so that they could only rely on him. Despite her situation, she was a happy and bubbly girl who loved life in general. She was also very cute.

Mathias was the oldest, being born in 1766 in Romania.

"Kind of fitting," Rayne thought.

Not much was known about him. Mathias rarely opened up to anyone but the Professor or Nadya and they didn't share any of the information. He was a mysterious fellow.

Professor Trumain on the other hand, was a scientist, a hematologist in fact (someone who studies blood). He worked at some important laboratory in London doing all sorts of studies on blood and the diseases that affect it. When asked on how he knew about Kagan, Trumain answered that he had read about him and heard of his evil. He answered in a way that made Rayne suspect that he was hiding something. Rayne also wandered on how the Professor and Nadya could be so sure about taking care of half-vampires whose shared father was Kagan. But, what did it matter? She was no longer homeless and hungry so that pretty much overshadowed most of her other questions.

Upon settling in, Rayne was given the rules:

* * *

**1. Attend breakfast at 8:30 AM every morning except Sunday, when it is served at 10.**

**2. Every Wed, Fri, and Sat at 11:00AM to 2:30 PM, attend lessons in language, geography, history, and arithmetic taught by the Professor and Mathias.**

**3. Be careful when your powers emerge. **

**4. If you have a "craving", see Nadya.**

**5. Don't curse or use lewd language around others.**

**6. Be polite**

* * *

Rayne adapted to the new rules rather quickly even though she didn't like the classes that the Professor and Mathias taught, they got way too into their subjects and it bored the crap out of her. But soon, time began to pass quickly at its usually pace. Rayne celebrated her first Christmas in three years, 1929 became 1930, the snow melted and the beautiful estate showed off its lush greenery in spring. The garden bared an array of flowers and plants to rival the Garden of Eden; rosebushes containing red, white, and Nadya's favorite: yellow roses, primroses, daffodils, honeysuckle, lavender, tulips, and rhododendron, while the greenhouse next to the kitchen to Rayne's discovery, contained more exotic plants like orange and pineapple trees, jungle flora, and tapioca plants for pudding (which was ghastly…) and Professor Trumain's prized orchids. During that time, Nadya shed her long sleeved maids outfit and began to don on a short sleeved, pink one that showed off her whole prosthetic arm. The fake hand was made of some kind of plaster while the forearm was made of leather with brass buttons, a metal ring on the top, and a leather vest that went around her elbow, making it look like a brown full moon.

When Rayne summoned up the courage to ask what happened to her left arm, Nadya kept on pruning the rosebushes and asked Rayne to kneel next her as she worked and told the story of her life.

Nadya was born into a gypsy caravan; into a band she called the _Romanichal_. Early into her childhood, Nadya was taught how to dance. Her dancing would help earn the band money whenever they stopped at towns where the men could find work and the women would offer to sell crafts or colts in order to buy food and clothes in town. Nadya became excited as she described how well she could dance, going so far as to accidentally snip off a rose from its stem as she described the somersaults and cartwheels that she could do by age eight! However this simple way of life changed forever when she was eleven years old.

It was 1916, halfway through the Great War. Nadya and her band were camped on the outskirts of a small farming community whose behavior towards them was best described as "mild with subtle hints of hostility." Due to her people's colorful language and way of life, the townspeople thought them to be spies for the Germans as well as the typical prejudiced views of them being thieves, cutthroats, and seducers. These views became even more cemented into the townspeople's minds when, one foggy morning, a farmer found the naked and mutilated body of a young woman in the woods. The people became afraid then infuriated and they immediately stormed the gypsy encampment, demanding who was responsible for the crime.

The caravan leader pleaded his band's innocence and promised to leave as soon as the townspeople left. Shortly after their departure, the town mayor organized a posse to attack the band, saying that they were escaping justice and deserved to be punished. The raiders tracked the caravan to a forest clearing and they surrounded them at night. They began to attack all the men folk of the band but the women themselves began to intervene to defend their fathers, husbands, brothers, or sons. A fight broke out and soon guns became involved and were being fired upon the Romani.

Bullets pieced red-hot holes into the bodies of the gypsies, both young and old, while their vardos (gypsy wagons) were being ransacked and burned, and the horses stolen. It was a massacre. After the onslaught, when Nadya, who hid in the bushes, heard no more screams and gunshots, she emerged from her hiding place with the few other survivors and found the butchered remains of her life.

She saw the corpses of grandmothers draped over stone cold grandchildren, friends who died together; men with their weapons still clutched in their hands, dead women holding silent babes or knives, the smell of charred flesh and the tears of the survivors who wept over their fallen kin. The whole scene could have been a portrait to represent human cruelty at its peak.

Nadya eventually came across the corpses of her mother, father, older brother and sister. She could see her sister move but before she could do anything for her, she heard the gruff voices of the raiders coming and she fled on her lighting fast feet, along with the few who still had hope.

Nadya was wounded as she tried to run from the ensuing pogrom, a bullet had pierced her left hand. The little girl kept running even after the remnants of her band were being gunned down like the starving wolves that raided sheep pens for lambs during the harsh winters. She kept running until her whole body was numb and the forest was far away. Nadya was quiet for a bit while Rayne sat with sharp ears, eager to know more of this tragic tale that seemed so similar to her own. Nadya continued with her tale, this time clipping the bushes with less enthusiasm.

After the destruction of her band, Nadya wandered the countryside looking for aid. No one would help her, none would spare one roll of bandages or a potato or carrot on a vagabond, even as her person grew thinner and flies began to congregate around her wound. She had wrapped her hand in a scrap of cloth she had torn off from her dress but it wasn't working. She eventually found a doctor but he refused to treat her hand, stating that he didn't want to touch the "filthy flesh" of a gypsy. She despaired, and one day, the poison in her wounded hand weakened her, and she collapsed on a dirt road, believing the end had finally come.

But it didn't. Professor Trumain happened to be driving on that road when he found her and took her home where he performed an amputation on most of her left forearm where the gangrene had spread. She was saved and when she told him her story, he sent for the police and the men behind the massacre were arrested, even the mayor, who was discovered to have been the _actual _murderer and rapist of that poor woman that caused the whole debacle to begin with.

Rayne looked dumbfounded as Nadya simply stared at the bushes.

In gratitude for saving her life and clearing the name of her people, Nadya repaid his kindness by doing chores around his manor even though she didn't have too. But since she was taught that you always repay a kind act whenever possible, she did it anyway. She resumed pruning, slipping the thorny stems through her fake fingers to steady them. Upon withdrawing her hand, Rayne could see a helter skelter of shiny scratches on the hand. She wandered if Nadya missed having her real hand.

She bet she did. She probably couldn't do the somersaults and cartwheels like she said she could anymore. Rayne didn't want to think about it.

She looked down on the yellow rose Nadya had snipped off.

Rayne picked it up and stared at it. It was beautiful and perfect, but it would die soon after being separated from its stem. She could understand why Nadya didn't mind living with dhampirs. They were a lot like her. Unwanted, looked down upon, and treated with contempt by most people or vampires, they all had to rely on each other for love and support; something the rest of the world wouldn't give them.

This place was their haven.

This is where they could live in peace without fear.

This was were they belonged…

**And that is the history behind the Trumain family. What did you all think? The prejudice against the Romani is called antiziganism. When I was doing some research on the Romani, I learned some fascinating things. Like for example, the word gypsy is in fact a racial slur but its been used so many times that I think the Romani don't see it as such anymore. **

**Oh and the sterotypical dress of the Romani as seen in movies is based off the Romanichal and the Romani don't wear the color red because it is considered an unlucky color. The Hunchback of Notre Dame got it wrong! I know this just a tangent but I hope you like this information. Thanks for reading! _Please review! :)_**


	13. Chapter 13: A Night at the Theatre

**_February 12, 1933_**

**_ Three years later_**

A great cloud of steamy breath escaped from Rayne's mouth as Nadya, Hashim, and herself exited from the warm, heavenly smelling sweet shop in London. It was a cold February day with a steel gray sky overhead promising flurries or maybe even a blizzard. But while this concerned a few people, the rest of the populace were going on with their day to day lives, thinking of work, life, and what kind of present to give to their sweethearts or spouses for the upcoming St. Valentine's Day. In fact Rayne, Nadya, and Hashim had been doing a little holiday shopping. The sweet shop they were just in sold not only candies, but also ingredients and materials for making them.

Nadya, Gabriella and Gabriel, and Rayne were going to make St. Valentine's Day chocolates for everyone.

They had just bought five pounds of imported South American cocoa powder, sugar, caramel, and a few molds whose shapes varied from hearts to diamonds to some three dimensional designs as well. After loading up, they were off to the market to buy some jellies handmade by farmers wives seeking to supplement their income in the city and maybe some fruit and nuts too. As Rayne was helping to load the purchases into the trunk of the car, she heard a very familiar voice.

"Oh darling that would be just splendid!"

Rayne nearly dropped her bag. It was Patricia Gordon's voice! It had been three years but Rayne still remembered it vividly. She turned and saw Patricia. She was dressed in a massive, black fur coat that probably cost more than a real diamond necklace and she wore a black veiled hat and she was talking to a young woman with dark brown hair that she dwarfed.

The dark haired lady was smiling with deep ruby pasted lips that framed a big white smile and in her hand were two theatre tickets.

"Rayne? What's wrong?"

Hashim's concerned question went unanswered as she continued to stare at the two women.

"I haven't seen a production of _Othello _in years! How did you know that I loved Shakespeare Geraldine?"

Geraldine blushed as she placed the tickets back into her pocket and the two began to walk away. Rayne started to run but she stopped as she remembered two important things:

1. She had nothing to confront Patricia with and 2, she was in a crowded London street.

"Damn it!" she cursed under her breath.

"Rayne, what's going on?" Hashim asked again and Rayne turned to see the concerned eyes of her half sibling as well as Nadya's.

"Its nothing… Its just, I thought I saw someone familiar…"

**_The next night…_**

Rayne tiptoed quietly down the hallway, trying her best not to make a sound. The only other beings in that hallway were the mounted knight armors that were lined along the walls like quiet sentinels, seemingly ready to strike down any intruder who dared to trespass the Professor's study without his permission. Under their harsh gaze, Rayne came across the medieval era looking door that led to the study and, procuring the key she stole, she inserted it into the lock. It clicked with approval and she carefully pushed the door open. No one was inside.

"Great!" Rayne thought as she crept in. A crescent moon whose light flooded through the two gigantic windows illuminated the room along with the erie elongated shadows of bare tree branches that stretched out like the hands of hags reaching to grab unsuspecting children. Rayne crept her way to the desk and turned on the lamp. After rummaging through the drawers, she found another key and then turned her attention to an exhibit on the left side of the room. With the key in hand, she went towards her quarry.

Rayne looked into the glass and simply stared at its bizarre contents that were lit dimly by the moonlight. The items were two sinister looking blades. The blades were long and slender like a ray of light through a crack in a floor. They also had a curved point and a half triangular edge near the end that gave the swords a very sinister appearence. Rayne first learned of their existence earlier that afternoon when she came to this office to talk to the professor.

Rayne had learned that morning that the professor was going to the Queen Sheba Theatre to see _Othello, _the only theatre in town that was hosting it that night,the same play that Patricia and her friend were going to see! The Professor had bought extra tickets and asked if anyone wanted to go with him, and Rayne, not wanting to miss this chance, went straight to his study to ask. Of course he cordially agreed, but Rayne's attention was soon turned to the exhibit. Trumain followed her gaze to the blades. To satiate her curiosity, the professor relayed her some history:

The blades were from the late 15th century, created by an eccentric nobleman who was paranoid of impending assassination. The blades possessed leather bangles that were clasped around his wrist and could be hidden under his cloak and billowing shirtsleeves. To swing the blades out, there was a mechanism that caused them to come out by the complete flexing of his arm muscles. The swords didn't have a name but the professor called them "Malebranche" or "Evil Claws", named after the demons that lurked in the eighth circle of hell in the Divine Comedy. The weapons fascinated Rayne. She wanted them.

She unlocked the lid and removed her prize. They had some weight to them but soon her dhampir strength adjusted to it. They were beautiful. She wrapped a blanket around them and sprinted back to her room. There she got dressed in the silk purple gown that Nadya had laid out for her earlier.

She strapped the blades onto her gloved arms and wrapped her cape around herself to hide the concealed weaponry. She was ready for the show! Rayne embarked with Trumain, Gabriella and Gabriel, and Mathias for a night of culture. Upon reaching the splendid theatre, Rayne saw her prey, Patricia and her friend Geraldine. Patricia was wearing a gold colored gown with a gold thread headband and the same black fur coat as the day before.

Rayne desperately wanted to run up there and run her through but couldn't. She joined the steady throng of theatregoers and came upon the opulent marble, and gold lobby. The upper echelons of London were here; sipping fine wines, eating crackers with caviar or cheese and bruschetta. Rayne looked around the fine lobby, noticing how the women gossiped in close groups like a flock of geese, talking loudly while the men stood loosely beside each other, quietly speaking while gawking and sometimes pointing at the semi clothed marble statues of women.

"Figures," Rayne thought. She could notice that some men were looking at her too. During her three years, Rayne had grown into a voluptuous young woman, with vibrant fire red hair, luminous green eyes, and of course, a bust that would be the envy of Hollywood starlets. And being sixteen and having no experience with men, Rayne shied away from the mens' subtle affections with flushed cheeks. Upon noticing her embarrassment, Gabriella laughed.

"Oh Rayne, look at you! Don't be shy, be proud! Here, let me take your cape..."

"No thank you Gabriella," Rayne said while shooing her adopted sister's hand away, "it feels cold in here and this is keeping me warm." Rayne managed the best fake smile she could muster. Gabriella merely shrugged her shoulders. Soon a gong sounded throughout the lobby, announcing the start of the play and ushers began to guide people to their seats. Rayne could see that Patricia and Geraldine were going up the steps; Rayne hoped that they wouldn't be seated with other people. Eventually the group made their way to their own chairs in the crimson and gold auditorium that was illuminated by a gigantic gold chandelier held high in a domed ceiling.

As the members of the upper class chatted amongst themselves, Rayne caught sight of Patricia and Geraldine in the lower box seat to her left. Rayne's face lowered to an angry scowl as the lights dimmed along with the chatter. The curtain rose and the play began.

* * *

**_An hour and a half later…_**

_"The worser welcome:_

_I have charged thee not to haunt about my doors:_

_In honest plainness thou hast heard me say_

_My daughter is not for thee; and now, in madness,_

_Being full of supper and distempering draughts,_

_Upon malicious bravery, dost thou come_

_To start my quiet."__ Brabantino

The words rang out of the actor's lips like the thunderous voice of a fundamentalist preacher. As the audience absorbed the presence and artistry of the words and action on stage, Rayne's thoughts were otherwise. She had to get to Patricia. The woman was fanning herself as she stared contently at the play. Rayne thought of so many plans of what to do that she was getting tired. The actors rambled on with their story and Rayne could do nothing but watch and plan.

Eventually, the first act ended and the lights turned back on and the people filed out for a rest. Rayne excused herself to the ladies room. She snuck up the stairs, looking for the box that Patricia was in. She heard her voice coming and Rayne turned to face the wall as Patricia and her friend passed. She then proceeded onwards and she found the seat. She wanted to hide behind the curtain of the box and strike Patricia as soon as the lights went out for the second act.

But as she reached for the ornate doorknob, she overheard a conversation from a woman in a beautiful blue dress.

"Are they really going to have real torches onstage for the second act?"

"Yes Nancy and don't you start with your pyrophobia. You're going to be fine. Its not like the actors are going to juggle them near a curtain or something…"

A light bulb clicked in Rayne's head. She had to get Patricia alone for a one on one confrontation and it appeared that she would have to do some vandalism in order to do it. Rayne locked the open door from the inside and left to find a way behind the stage in order to get a sandbag. After sneaking past Trumain and the others, Rayne came across the backstage. It too was crowded with stage crew and actors getting ready for the second act.

And lying next to the wall was a sandbag tied to a long piece of rope. After quietly snatching it up, she looked up to see a metal pole that the ropes of other sandbags were draped over to hold pieces of scenery in place. She managed to reach the pole with one jump without being noticed and her feet clung to the thin pole like the feet of a cat. Soon the gong sounded, the second act was to begin. The lights dimmed and Rayne turned on her Aura Sense, seeing that Patricia and Geraldine were returning to their seats.

Everything was going according to plan. Soon the soft light of flickering flames of torches carried by the actors walked onto the main stage. As the actors began their lines, Rayne began to study which one to hit. She stretched out the rope and she began to twirl the sandbag in the air, after some observation she saw one actor who was closest to the curtain. She positioned her hands and began to swing her projectile back and forth, and taking her chance, she hit the actor's wrist with the bag, causing the torch to fall onto the curtain.

The minute the fire touched the curtain, an inferno sprung forth as it climbed its way up the fabric. All pandaemonium broke loose. Audience members and actors scrambled out of the theatre, some actors stupidly discarding their torches this way and that, causing flames to burst on the seats and carpeting. Rayne jumped down from the pole and onto the stage. Scraps of burning curtain fell like snowflakes from hell and as a precaution, Ranye tore off her cape. Looking up into the box, Rayne could see Patricia yelling frantically at Geraldine to unlock the door. Seeing her chance, the dhampir jumped from the stage onto the railing of the box seat.

"Hello Patricia…"

The woman froze and then turned to see her former adversary staring back at her with green eyes that pierced like arrows into Patricia's cold soul. Patricia's own eyes began to glow the same wolf amber eyes like last time.

"Patricia! What are you doing?! Lets go…"

Geraldine stared in bewilderment as she saw her friend glare at this scary red head with fierce eyes. She had unlocked the door without their notice and had fled but came back to fetch Patricia. The stare off seemed to last forever even as the fire consumed the stage. Without warning, Rayne flexed the muscles of her right arm, causing the blade to swing out, ripping her glove to tatters as she tried to slash Patricia with it. But the vampire was quicker, she grabbed Geraldine and held her in front as a human shield.

The woman shrieked as the blade cut through her rib cage and muscles as if they were butter, and went limp. Rayne stared in shock at this disgusting act.

"You fucking murderous BITCH!" she cried out, fangs bared."

Patricia simply stared at the woman whose life she was indirectly responsible for ending. She gently stroked her hair, kissed her forehead, and whispered into her ear:

"Sorry love, but it had to be done…"

Patricia then let the body drop.

"She was my lover. I am bisexual. Clayton, God rest his soul," she said with subtle sarcasm, "was my lover as well."

The thought of incest made Rayne slightly ill.

"What the fuck!... You slept with _your son!" _she said in disgust.

An annoyed snarl issued from Patricia's now fanged mouth.

"He wasn't really my son! I turned him into a vampire in the late 80's. I passed him off as my child since society isn't very fond of older women being in romantic relationships with younger men. But, it appears Clayton's interest in me was overshadowed by his... fondness for children."

The memory of those snow white fingers encased in concrete brought forth and ire in Rayne that she hadn't felt in a long time. Patricia then turned her attention back to an enraged Rayne and smiled, her fangs bared.

"And now before I leave, I believe you must be disposed of, now, posthaste!"

As soon as she ended that sentence, Patricia charged Rayne. But she managed to evade it with a backflip that kicked the vampiress hard in the chin and she landed on the carpet. Rayne looked up and saw Patricia's eyes glow even brighter as her lips dripped with a trickle of blood. Soon the multiple clicks of doors locking filled the auditorium along with the roar of flames.

This was personal.

The vampiress then proceeded to smile. Her fangs began to grow larger and larger, her skin turned black as night, her eyes bulging from their sockets, her fingers grew into reed thin, very long appendages with blood red webbing forming between them, her face grew out of its normal frame into that of a demon. Sounds of bones cracking and rearranging along with the noises of ripping cloth filled Rayne's ears as she watched Patricia transform. With a inhuman roar, Patricia covered her head with her growing wings as her back arched and her hair began to encompass most of her body and grow to gigantic proportions and soon, Rayne was staring into the intense, demonic eyes of Patricia's bat form. The creature spoke in a deep masculine voice with her smiling massive maw.

"If you want to kill me little girl, you better learn how to fly!"

She then let out a screeching howl that sent chills down Rayne's soul. Flexing her blood red wings, Patricia flew up into the ceiling, using her claws to dislodge a carving and throw it with much force with towards her enemy, who dodged it.

"Shit now what!"

Rayne didn't know what to do. How could she fight this, she couldn't fly. Patricia let go of her roost and swooped down to bite a chunk out of Rayne but she dodged her again but not without getting slashed down her side with the blade from Rayne's left arm. The bat responded with a pained growl and disappeared into the great fog of smoke that had congregated in the ceiling. Oh crap.

Rayne tried her Aura Sense but the foul smoke stung her senses and the blue light was nothing more than a mere blur. A roar from behind startled Rayne as she turned around and saw the face of the monster coming straight towards her, hitting her with full force. Rayne was knocked off her feet and banged her head on the floor. With her head throbbing and her Aura Sense rendered useless, she was a sitting duck. The bat landed in front of her victim and began to taunt her by swiping her wings as if she was attempting to cut her.

Rayne thrusted her blades towards the offending wings but only got an amused chuckle from the bat. After a minute or two of play, Patricia grabbed Rayne with her teeth and she flew high into the ceiling until her fur brushed against the marble carvings. Holding Rayne across from her, Patricia dropped her with a sinister laugh. All Rayne could do was scream. However her body began to react to the threat of death, and as the chairs got closer and closer, she bent out her legs and arms and managed to break her fall in a flexible pose that landed with the precision of a cat.

A frustrated roar resounded throughout the theatre as the bat came down again. Rayne ran back to the stage and evaded the angry swoop. Seeing the sandbag she had used earlier to initiate this debacle, Rayne got an idea. She grabbed it and using her dhampir strength, began to twirl it around like a lasso. Patricia, blind with overconfidence, swooped down again.

With good timing, Rayne slammed the bag with full force into Patricia's cheek and she crashed down onto the ground in pain with a bleeding jaw. With this opportunity, Rayne sprinted across the stage and jumped onto the back of the monster. The creature bucked up and began to fly high into the ceiling. To hold on to the beast, Rayne rammed her blades into the back of the bat, causing a hideous howl of pain reverberate throughout the auditorium. The bat circled around the chandelier, trying to disorient her attacker and throw her off.

But soon, Rayne commandeered the beast with her blades dug deep into her flesh. As the creature curved, our heroine, using the blades like a walking stick used by mountaineers to penetrate thick snow, she inched her way to Patricia's right side. The bat tried to fling her attacker off with a sharp curve, but Rayne held steady with the Malebranche dug firmly into her back. As the bat straightened, Rayne performed an amazing feat. She slipped her blades out and did a cartwheel over Patricia's wing, bringing her blade down and slicing horizontally through the membrane and fingers.

An agonized roar gushed out of Patricia's lips as she lost her balance as Rayne somersaulted away. She caught herself midair and landed safely on the ground while the bat fell down with a rumbling thud. Panting, Rayne watched as the creature reverted back to into Patricia. The sore woman turned onto her back groaning in pain. Both were exhausted beyond their wildest dreams.

Suddenly, pieces of marble and dust fell down around Patricia. As she looked up, the chandelier, its support weakened from Patricia's wings scraping it, snapped and fell down onto the screaming woman. After buffering herself from the dust, Rayne used her Aura Sense to see that Patricia was shockingly still alive but barely. In the aura field, her illumination was a dark red, a sign that she was near death. Rayne walked over to her fallen opponent.

The woman was lying in a pool of her own blood and was coughing up a small geyser of it as well. The pointed center of the chandelier had pierced her abdomen, effectively nailing her to the ground. Patricia turned her eyes onto Rayne. Her eyes were filled with rage and disbelief. Seeing that she was dying, Rayne went to leave but stopped. She went back to Patricia and got down on both knees.

Patricia tried to move her arms with the last of her strength, but her arms were pinned under the weight of the giant light fixture. Rayne, sweaty and grimy from her battle, only smiled towards Patricia as she lowered her face down to hers. Upon reaching her ear, she whispered:

"You know Patricia, I could just leave you here to die like you tried to do with me and that girl three years ago, but I have other ideas."

Her emerald gaze moved to Patricia's neck.

"I think you should personally know the pain you inflicted on others with your teeth."

And with that the fangs of a dhampir touched the flesh of vampire's neck, which vibrated with the pleas she couldn't say, and punctured it, and began to drink what was left of the vampire's blood. The vampire struggled with blood muffled screams and attempted thrashing that only ended in the subsequent lethargy that accompanies blood loss and soon, Patricia was dead. After her late night drink, Rayne wiped her lips with her gloved arm and stared smugly at her fallen enemy.

"Enjoy hell Patricia. Say hi to Clayton for me…"

And with that, the becoming vampire slayer left the burning theatre.

**And thats the first appearance of Rayne's signature blades! I hope you enjoyed the battle. The following chapters will take awhile since I haven't finished the very next one yet. The others were already made when I published this story. Thank you for reading and _Please review! :)_**

**PS. I don't wish to show bisexuals or anyone else of other sexual orientation in a bad light. Also, Clayton may have looked like Patricia, but is merely a ****coincidence. **


	14. Chapter 14: Revelations

**Thank you all for being patient. Some tests at school were coming up and I had to study and then catch up with my homework. This chapter is a long one but I am sure it will be satisfactory for some of you. You will get to learn more about Trumain's past and some unexpected things will turn that will turn Rayne's life around forever. Please enjoy and once again, thank you for your patience!**

**Author's Note: Swearing and details of graphic violence ahead.**

* * *

**_St. Valentines Day_**

**_ The next morning_**

Rayne woke up in a bad mood. Her head hurt from breathing in smoke and from hitting it on the floor from Patricia's attack and her back was sore from a severe carpet burn that she received from the same attack as well. Thanks to her vampire side however, it had healed but it still stung like a son of a bitch though. Cracks of sunlight snuck in under the drawn curtains of her windows, showing her that morning had arrived. But Rayne could not enjoy it. Over the years, Rayne's skin began to develop intolerance to sunlight.

Trumain had explained to her that the strengths and weaknesses of a dhampir develop at different intervals of their life, like Rayne had a weakness to water at birth and now she couldn't stand sunlight without getting a nasty burn. But getting the weaknesses was sometimes worth it because for every one that developed, strength was soon to follow. The sound of footsteps coming down the hall reverberated through her room but Rayne wasn't in the mood for visitors. She instead snuggled under her plush blanket, hoping to block off the whole world. The door opened and familiar voice in a stern tone rang in Rayne's ears.

"Rayne, rise up. Time for breakfast."

The girl grudgingly got up to see that Nadya had brought a tray of food for her. After making herself comfortable, Nadya placed the tray on Rayne's lap.

"After you are finished Miss Rayne, the Professor would like to see you."

Rayne passively listened to Nadya's words as she was more focused on her morning repast. It was an omelet with cheese, mushrooms, and potatoes along with toast, juice, and on a small saucer, a chocolate she helped Nadya make yesterday. As she was setting a napkin on her lap, Nadya spoke once again.

"The professor also wanted me to show you this."

Rayne turned to see an unfolded newspaper in Nadya's hand, its title blaring out in big bold letters: "**Shakespearian Night turns to Terror! Fire at the Queen Sheba Theatre!" **As she read the article, Rayne felt some division in her emotions as she was both disappointed and yet proud in her vandalism.

"Yep, I did that." she thought. However when she read the caption underneath the title, her eyes went wide. The italicized sentence read: _**"Two casualties. Both are women." **_

Rayne let out a chuckle. It must have been quite a hassle to get Patricia's body out from under the chandelier. Nadya gently laid the paper down and simply looked at Rayne as she began to eat.

"Please see the Professor after you have finished. Have a good morning" And with that, Nadya bowed and left. It was rare to see Nadya like that, but it was also rare to have breakfast in bed too since Nadya did not like seeing crumbs on the sheets. After polishing up her omelet and caramel centered chocolate, Rayne put on her slippers and draped a robe over her nightgown and proceeded to the Professor's office. As she walked through the halls, she could hear the distant ghostly voices of her adoptive family chattering from the dining room downstairs.

She soon came across the hall of knights and to her pleasure; the windows adjacent to them were draped over. Rayne silently made her way, ignoring the empty, eerie stares of the armor all the while covering her head with her robe since there were big cracks of sunlight wafting through like celestial fingers. Soon, the door to Trumain's office was in front of her and she knocked on it.

"Come in."

Heeding the voice, Rayne pushed open the door although tentatively. Trumain sat his desk and the with the morning sun illuminating everything, Rayne could now see the finer details she failed to notice on the two occasions when she was in there. On the center wall were the desk was sandwiched between two windows, sat a blue shield with a green diamond design on the left side with a sword and scroll crossed beneath it and under this shield was a bronze banner with the Trumain family motto: _Aut Consiliis Aut Ense _(Latin for Either by Meeting or the Sword). To the left of the desk was the exhibit that the Malebranche were held in once again and above it were some old black and white pictures. To the right was another desk with a telegram machine and radio and more pictures above.

The Professor himself sat at the center desk that was crowded with papers and his own copy of the newspaper on which his fingers drummed on with an ominous rhythm. He looked at Rayne with a stern gaze that, in her opinion seethed with anger. He then calmly gestured Rayne to sit in the chair he had out for her, which she sat in briskly. After a minute of silence, he spoke.

"Good morning Rayne."

"Good morning sir." She said nervously. Was he going to yell at her? Trumain drew in breath and Rayne prepared for the worst until he spoke in a calm tone.

"Tell me what exactly happened last night Rayne." Relieved that she wasn't here to be yelled at or scolded but still curious somewhat by his calm reaction, Rayne told her tale. She told him about her first encounter with Patricia and Clayton, her house of horrors, Patricia leaving Rayne to burn to death with the other vampires and how her flight led her to England, and eventually to the battle in the theatre auditorium. After Patricia's demise, Rayne went to the door but the heavy sounds of booted feet and incoherent shouts of the firemen had frozen Rayne in her place. She had to find another way out.

Luckily, the doors were still locked from the start of the battle with Patricia so the firemen had to resort to kicking or chopping down the doors with their axes. This gave time for Rayne to run to the stage, underneath the inferno and into the abandoned corridors of the theatre. She managed to find a back door and she escaped into the ancient alleyway. There she could hear the chaotic storm of shouts coming from the front. With nothing to cover her arms, Rayne sucked in her gut and walked towards the direction of the hectic crowd, hoping, just hoping no one would notice the disheveled red headed teenage girl with shredded gloves, a bloody, scraped back and of course, two blood drenched blades.

No one noticed thankfully, they were too busy yakking with each other about the disaster they were just in to notice the weary warrior. As she made her way through the crowd, Rayne saw Gabriella and Gabriel along with Trumain and Mathias. They had looks of absolute concern on their faces, concern for Rayne's whereabouts. With a sigh, she made her way towards them. Gabriel saw her and called out to her, but Rayne, in unintentional rudeness, ignored him and the worried questions of her family, opened the car door and slid into the car seat and promptly fell asleep sitting up.

"What happened next," Rayne said, "after I fell asleep?"

"Geoffrey drove us home. We were in an absolute loss for what had happened and for the state you were in. I was concerned about your condition and," he said with a slight pause, a sign that he was coming to a point, "how you got those two swords from my study…"

He glared at Rayne disappointedly; she in turn could not meet his gaze and could only look down in shame.

"But, needless to say, you did do something good."

The words caused Rayne to look up in shock. "What do you mean sir?" she asked.

"What I mean dear girl is that you have saved many lives from Patricia's fangs and sadism. You may not have been able to save the woman that vampire used as a shield, but you still accomplished something. You should be proud."

Rayne's expression lit up with confidence and happiness.

"Although, you could've told me about her. I would have sent someone to handle her instead of you having to destroy countless shillings worth of property in order to confront her."

This comment startled Rayne from her brief moment of euphoria. But what did he mean by "someone to handle her?"

"What do you mean Professor? Who would you have sent to kill Patricia?"

Trumain sighed.

"I hoped that I wouldn't have to bring this to light, but I guess you are owed some explanation from me…"

The old man proceeded to open a drawer by his right shin and take out an old piece of yellowed paper and he handed it to Rayne. She stared at the aged sheet and read it. It said:

_**"I solemnly swear, on this day, September 21, 1899, eighteen years after the year of my birth, to pledge myself loyally with all my heart and soul, to the Brimstone Society, the Eternal and Staunch Protectors of Order and Reason. I swear to uphold Order among men and beasts and to uphold Reason so that man may never hold doubts about himself or the world around him. I, Henry Eugene Trumain IX, shall take up the Torch of Ascension after the passing of my predecessor, Henry Eugene Trumain the VIII. I hereby mark this decree with my blood, the sign of my eternal allegiance to the Brimstone Society and my inherited duty. Alea Iacata Est, the die has been cast. **_

Right next to the last sentence was a bloody thumbprint with a strange cross like symbol underneath at the center of the papers' footer. The cross had two tiers and under the last one were two circles. What the hell is this? What was the Brimstone Society? Rayne stared into the paper with a bewildered look. Upon seeing her confusion, Trumain explained.

"That my dear girl, was my Duty of Inheritance Oath, the oaths are different depending on the person, like newcomers or people from families like mine who have been long associated with that order. You see, the Brimstone Society is a secret order dedicated to maintaining a status quo between humans and monsters. They are at best description, the "supernatural police force of the world." If any creature of myth oversteps its accepted bounds, Brimstone deals with it, and it can go two ways, the creature could be given a firm warning or it will be killed. Sadly, it usually the latter."

Rayne stared in disbelief, why would Trumain keep this secret from everyone? The girl spoke.

"Professor, do they do anything with humans if they, "overstep their boundaries too?"

"Yes. If a human has unwillingly come across the unbelievable they take them away to be "sheltered" so that they can gradually forget about the incident, on the other hand, if they willingly dabbled in the forbidden arts or have become acquainted with beasts with the desire to cause harm, they are to be killed too. But besides that, Brimstone does not interfere with the affairs of humans, they do not have influence in government matters unless something supernatural or beyond the capabilities of human strength have appeared. That is when they get involved."

"Why did you keep this secret from us?"

"To keep you all safe and so that you all could lead lives free of worry. Only Nadya and Mathias know of my involvement, now three with you…"

Rayne couldn't believe all this, not only was her adoptive father leading a double life, he was living this double life with a secret society of monster hunters. This was all so sudden, yet so intriguing. What else did he know? The question she had harbored deep inside for three years erupted into her mind.

"My father, Kagan. How do you know him Professor? With what you've just told me, you didn't just come across him from books. You've met him face to face, haven't you?"

Trumain's gaze became sad and dark. Rayne feared she might have tread on a tender issue. But the old man, bless his heart, answered.

"I did meet him. It was April 5, 1918, the final year of the Great War. I was a commanding officer and my battalion and I had been fighting German forces for over a month during their last ditch effort to kick us out of France and the war in general. This effort was called Operation Michael. I was only thirty-seven years old at the time but I was a decorated veteran of the Second Boer War of 1899 to 1902 during my late teens to early twenties, so I had some combat experience but that was going to be put to the test that April night… We were in the trenches, waiting for the German soldiers to come with everything they had.

They did come all right, but not the way we expected… A scout reported to us on the radio that he saw German trucks unloading equipment and these strange huge metal boxes. The scout told us the soldiers looked apprehensive being around the crates, almost scared. He then said he saw this giant of a man order the crates to be moved the front of were the charge was to take place. We turned on our spotlights to have a better look ourselves and we could see that there were eight of these things lined up like pawns on a chessboard.

The Germans didn't hesitate even though they were under the glare of our lights. Instead, soldiers climbed on top of the boxes and grabbed on the handles. The scout said they looked apprehensive and that did nothing but shake our nerves up more. Then he came into our lights…"

"Kagan…" Rayne thought. The old man continued with his intriguing story.

"By that point I had been in Brimstone for over nineteen years and I had seen and dealt with the unimaginable. I had heard stories of Kagan, but seeing him was enough to take my breath away. He was tall, almost seven feet I think, built like an ox and even in the spotlights I could see the scarlet glow of his unearthly eyes gazing at our humble trench. His gaze froze us to the core. He then blew a whistle, and the men lifted up the crate doors… and that's when Purgatory became real…

We were soon met by a swarm of red-eyed beasts (five in each crate, cramped together) charging towards us like a herd of wild horses, screeching out roars the likes we have never heard of before and running like gorillas. The scout was killed first, we heard his screams from the field a, and finally, just the sounds of his flesh being torn and his bones being crushed on the radio. I immediately ordered the machine gunners to fire and that managed to cut down some of the swarm but they were in our trench in no time. My men put up a good fight but it was futile, these beasts would surely overcome us. I managed to fight off the beasts with my officers' saber and I managed to escape the onslaught with the few men who survived.

There were only five of us, including me. As we ran, we saw a flare and heard more roars and bloodcurdling screams. More monsters had been sent out. Summoning our rattled courage, we charged into the onslaught, butchering any beast that stood in our way. I was trying to look for a radio since the monsters destroyed ours, so that I could call in Brimstone and have them send in their troops.

After much effort, we reached it. But Kagan saw us and he ordered the German shock troopers upon us. One man sacrificed himself to stop them as we made our way to the radio. I called for infantry support and they said they would come in five minutes. Those were to be the longest five minutes of my life…

Rabid beasts and the rapid firing of German machine gunners, it couldn't have gotten any worse. I had to reach Kagan; fore he was seemingly the commander of this assault. I ploughed my way through the trenches with a machine gunner named Roberts to get to Kagan. We managed to sneak around and surprise him. Roberts distracted Kagan's bodyguards as I confronted him.

And there I was, standing on the abused, scar-ridden, muddy ground in the presence of the infamous vampire Kagan. I will admit, I was shaking but I held my ground and I pointed my sabre at him. He merely chuckled at my display and promptly removed his sword and pointed it at me. He then said to me:"

"So little worm, you think you can take me on? Give it your best shot!"

"And with that, our steel clashed and we began our battle in the midst of guns and screams. He was tough; after all, he had had centuries worth of sword fighting experience compared to mine but I had the advantage of youth and height. I was able to dodge his swift swipes and strikes and my vigor kept me on my feet. But suddenly, a German threw a grenade at me but I managed to get away. However the explosion blinded me and Kagan saw this opportunity to grab me and throw me into a pile of barbed wire.

As I struggled, he came over with smug smile of victory crossed upon his face, baring his fangs. But Roberts, the machine gunner, had finished off the bodyguards and he shot at Kagan. He didn't take kindly to this annoyance and went after Roberts. He grabbed the poor man and with one hand, tore the flesh off his chest, exposing his innards. Kagan then promptly began to tear out Roberts's entrails as he screamed for bloody mercy.

Sadly, it was his sacrifice that gave me the opportunity to free myself and retrieve my sword. Just as he dropped my rescuer down into the mud, I plunged my sword into his shoulder. And by cutting upward I rendered his arm useless and as he turned around, I slashed his chest, stabbed his knee, slashed him again in the face and for a more personal touch, I punched him right in the face, breaking his nose. However, Kagan recovered from my attack and as he about to strike me, the Brimstone soldiers came and proceeded to slaughter the beasts and Germans. Kagan had lost.

Seeing his assault being decimated, he looked me, read my name off my uniform and said:"

"I won't forget this Trumain… I will never forget this…"

"He then turned tail and ran away into the night… Operation Michael was a failure and in the end the Germans later surrendered and I went home to my wife and child…"

"You had a wife and kid?" Rayne asked curiously. She hadn't seen any pictures of Trumain with anyone besides Nadya and the others. Trumain fell silent. The silence seemed to last forever until he spoke again.

"Yes, I was married once… I was married to a beautiful Boer woman named Lenore, and we had a gorgeous little girl named Isabella… They used to live here with me in this manor. Isabella would ride her tricycle down the halls, ringing its little bell…"

Rayne could see tears well up in his eyes as he looked back upon a memory Rayne wished she could see and hear. The old man wiped his eyes and continued, forcing back a lump in his throat.

" It was a year after the Great War had ended and we were vacationing in the French port city of Le Havre that August. My wife and child were back at the hotel room, reading and sleeping respectively. I still remember when I kissed my daughter good night and kissed my wife good-bye as I went to walk on the beach…"

Tears began to fall down Trumain's weathered cheeks. Rayne could feel a hard, hot lump of despair form in her throat as well.

"As I was walking down the beach, I heard this horrible scream coming from our hotel. It sounded like Lenore's scream and I sprinted towards back to it. I rushed into the elevator to the floor we had been staying on and I pushed my way through concerned crowds and came across the ruined room. I found my wife…"

Trumain clammed up and buried his head in his hands. Rayne could hear him softly sobbing. He continued.

"She was in the bedroom… Her body was ripped to shreds. I couldn't recognize her. The only way I could identify her properly was by the custom made wedding ring I had made for her… And Isabella…"

Silence again, Rayne waited patiently yet intently.

"She was in the other bedroom. She was intact for the most part, save for the bite mark on her neck. She was drained of her blood… The assailants had escaped through the window but our hotel was on the tenth floor and there was no way anyone could survive that drop. Continuing their investigation, the police came upon a photographer who had seen a suspicious looking couple walking towards the elevators earlier.

He had a photograph of them in fact. But no one could find them anywhere. They were gone, but I knew who did it...

Kagan had his revenge. He had recovered completely from all his wounds but it couldn't heal the humiliation he felt at being defeated by a human. He tracked me down in order to kill me, but he found out that I wasn't there and decided that the death of my family would be a worthy retribution for my actions."

The silence returned, heavy, dark, sad silence.

"How tragic, my father has ruined more lives than I had thought to herself bitterly.

Trumain dabbed his eyes with a handkerchief and he turned to the other desk behind him and opened a drawer and took out a framed picture. It was a photograph of Lenore and Isabella. Lenore wore a long dress and hat while her daughter, who looked to be five or six in the picture, wore a white dress with cute shoes and a ribbon in her short hair. In her little hands was a basket that held Easter eggs. In the lower right corner of the picture in white ink was the date and names: "Lenore and Isabella Trumain during the Easter Sunday of April 23, 1916."

"She was eight years old when she died…" Trumain whispered.

The picture reminded Rayne of a photograph that she remembered that used to be on the small table in the living room of her old apartment. It was picture of her at Grand Central Park when she was three years old and she was holding a balloon in front of a fountain. She wandered what had happened to that picture and she felt bad that she could not keep it.

"May I please have it back?"

Rayne gave the picture back and Trumain set it on his desk. He then took out an envelope from the same drawer. He pulled another picture out but before he showed it to Rayne, he said;

"This is the photograph that man took at the hotel moments before my family's murder. I want you to take a good look and see if you recognize the one person in there with Kagan…"

He handed Rayne the photograph and she recognized that bastard Kagan immediately. His hulking form was a dead give away. But there was one individual that caused Rayne's eyes bulge and the hairs on the back of her neck to stand. By Kagan's side, was a woman wearing an old fashioned dress and hat with her pale hair cascading down her back like a silvery waterfall… It was Ophelia!

"That bitch was there with him!?" Rayne shouted in rage. The outburst shocked Trumain, but he collected his wits.

"You know her?"

Rayne looked at him straight in the face. Her eyes were burning with rage.

"Yes… She was with Kagan the night my family was murdered. She helped him…"

The memory of that woman with the blood soaked crescent bloods and her alluring Spanish voice sent pulses of fury through Rayne's body. She had told Trumain about her family's massacre after she first came to the Trumain Manor. They now shared a common connection with Kagan and Ophelia… Trumain remained silent, deep in thought until he spoke.

"Rayne, there is something I must tell you and I want you to listen very carfully."

Rayne looked up concerned.

"I have been looking for Ophelia as well as Kagan for a long time. In fact, I recently received a telegram from the Brimstone Society. They haven't been able to find Kagan, but they did find Ophelia."

Rayne received this news with surprise.

"Where is she?" she demanded.

"She is in Spain, in the province of Aragon in a village called Pueblo de la Muerte, the Village of Death. She resides in her family castle in the mountains there."

"Is Brimstone going to go after her?"

"No. Ophelia hasn't done anything to warrant the concern of Brimstone. She seems to have lost contact with Kagan and now she just stays in her castle, only coming out when she needs to feed."

"But, she's still killing people." Rayne said in disbelief.

"Yes, but it is her nature. As long as she doesn't do anything to damage the main status quo, Brimstone will leave her alone. But, like you, I have no intention of letting her go… Rayne, will you kill her for me?"

The girl looked up in disbelief. The professor was asking her to kill their hated enemy. What happened to keeping her uninvolved with supernatural affairs?

"But sir…"

"I know, I know I am contradicting what I said earlier, but, your fight with Patricia has ignited a fire for vigilantism and now your desire for vengeance has returned as well. You have proven to me that you can handle yourself in a fight. I am too old and busy here to take care of Ophelia, but you are young and strong, even more so with the added advantage of being half vampire. You can do a better job than I could have ever done even in my youth. I know this sounds like I am using you, but I am not, you want Ophelia dead as much as I do.

So what do you think?"

Rayne was dumbfounded but at the same time, exhilarated. The Professor was giving her the chance to exact vengeance on Ophelia. If she went to Spain and confronted the vampire, maybe she could coerce information about Kagan from her in order to further pave the stepping-stones towards her revenge. Her muscles quivered with the thought of tearing the bitch limb from limb with Malebranche and pleasure in her suffering as she did in Rayne's all those years ago. She couldn't pass this up, she could do this.

"Yes. I will go kill her."Rayne said with complete determination.

Trumain looked at his adoptive daughter with a concerned look but her gaze reassured him of her conviction. He then stood up and walked towards the exhibit, unlocked it and took out the newly cleaned swords and placed them on her lap. Rayne gently stroked her finger across the smooth, glittering steel. They were begging for bloodshed.

"Ophelia, your next… Your going to pay for what you've done…"

And then an eerie smile crossed Rayne's face, baring her fangs. As Trumain observed this from his position, he hoped that he hadn't created a monster. But who was to say? This was what Rayne wanted and she was going to go after it. Alea Iacata Est.

The die has been cast...

_End of Arc Two: Welcome to England._

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**Phew! Long chapter! I hope you all enjoyed it. The last arc is finally here. There are three arcs in the original BloodRayne game, Louisana, Argentina, and Germany. I will try and get the chapters in if I have the free time okay? Thank you for reading and_ please review:) Ps: I got these Latin phrases from wikipedia!_**


	15. Chapter 15: Pueblo de la Muerte

**Rayne is now in Spain to exact her vengeance upon Ophelia! Things are going to get interesting as the final arc chapters come in. Please enjoy and if any you know Spanish and see any mistakes, please let me know. I got these phrases from Google Translate. I used to take a Spanish class in High School but I wasn't good at it. Thank you.**

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**Arc Three: To Spain with a Vengeance **

**_March 13, 1933_**

**_Aragon, Spain_**

"_El Cuento Tragico de Ofelia or the Tragedy of Ophelia_" was the title of the story that Rayne read from a book on Spanish folklore as she rode on the train through the Aragonese countryside. Trumain had scrounged it from a library and had given it to her so that she could learn more about her hated enemy. The story went that Ophelia, her full name being Ophelia Angelita Soledad Rosales, was the child of a Ricohombre, a baron like title in the Spanish aristocracy. She had grown up spoiled amidst splendor, her only expectation in life was being married off in an arranged marriage and bearing an heir to continue the Rosales family line. She was eventually betrothed to her first cousin Rodrigo and was by all accounts a happy marriage.

That is, until it was discovered that Ophelia was sterile. Desiring his bloodline to be continued, Ophelia's father, her husband's uncle, gave his son-in-law/ nephew permission to have a mistress. Rodrigo's union with his mistress Maria produced a son and soon Ophelia was cast out of her husband's life. She quickly fell into a deep depression that was compacted even more when Maria and Rodrigo had another child, a daughter. Ophelia soon became a recluse and was rarely seen by anyone in the family castle.

One day however, things got from bad to worse. Ophelia was strolling along the river by her castle when Rogelio, the son of Rodrigo and Maria came down. He tried to talk to the melancholy recluse, but she ignored him. Then Rogelio told her that he pitied her, those were to be his final words. The woman throttled the boy and threw him onto the hard stones; his skull cracked open upon impact and his blood seeped forth.

Ophelia was horrified at first but as she watched the blood flow, a disturbing idea was planted in the woman's head. She began to believe that if she ingested the blood of this child, she could become fertile. Taking the boy's body up river and out of sight, Ophelia drained the boy of his blood and hid his body in the forest. She then turned her attention to Gracia, the daughter of Rodrigo and Maria. She smothered the child as she slept and she took the body away to drain and then discard.

The family was in a panic, two of the new Ricohombre's children had disappeared and no one could find them anywhere in sight. As Rodrigo gathered his courtiers to discuss his children's disappearances, Ophelia went on the prowl again, this time her sight was on the couple's new baby daughter. With all three children gone, Rodrigo was sure to return to Ophelia and desire her body, now supposedly fertile. As she hovered over the baby's crib, a wet nurse came in and saw that Ophelia had her hands close to the baby's throat. She attacked the murderous woman, only to be killed by her instead.

Her screams and the sounds of struggle however brought Rodrigo, Maria and the guards to scene just as she was to about try another attempt on the infant's life once could understand the utter shock and horror when Rodrigo discovered that it was his reclusive wife that was behind his children's disappearances as well as the attempted murder of his youngest. Under threat of torture, Ophelia supposedly laughed maniacally as she described the two filicides she committed and where she hid their bodies in the forest. As punishment for her heinous crimes, the Ricahembra was immured or walled up alive. It is believed that she laughed as the bricklayers laid brick after brick until the last one was set.

At the time of her death, Ophelia was twenty-six years old.

Fifty years later, a servant heard a mysterious moaning sound coming from the wall were Ophelia was left die behind in. Upon breaking it down did the servant and a now elderly Rodrigo discovered Ophelia to still be alive. Over the years, her skin paled and her hair lost color, but she had not lost her youthful vitality or beauty. But she was no longer human. Upon closer examination, it was discovered that Ophelia had become a vampire.

Seeing this transformation as punishment from God for forsaking his wife, Rodrigo released her and had the surrounding corridor locked away from the rest of the family to protect them and give Ophelia her privacy. To satiate the vampire's appetite, the family at first "served" her the prisoners from the village jail, then the drunkards that stumbled out of the tavern and the elderly who wandered away from their homes in delirium. Because of the disappearances and later discovery of blood drained corpses, the burg became known as the Village of Death. To draw attention away from themselves, the Rosales family began to simply stash the bodies in Ophelia's Corridor and eventually seek victims elsewhere, sometimes as far as the capital city of Aragon, Zaragoza. To say that the Rosales family had a few skeletons in their closet would have been an understatement.

As time went by however, people began to believe that this horror story was nothing more than a ruse used to control the villagers and to keep them under the thumb of the Rosales family. Whether this is true or not will never be known. The Rosales clan was killed off on the Feast Day of Saint Bartholomew of 1897. The killer(s) were never found. Did Ophelia become bored with the blood of common rabble and decide to gorge herself on the blue blood of her family?

No one may ever know...

"Quite the story." Rayne thought. As sad as the tale was however, it still didn't excuse Ophelia's actions. Looking away from her book, Rayne looked outside the window of her train cabin and saw the mountainous and forested landscape of Aragon stretched out before her. Every now and then she would see glimpses of red tiled roofs and smoke before it would disappear altogether in a wave of budding green amongst grey weathered trees.

Pueblo de la Muerte, as far as she had heard, was nothing remarkable except for the story of Ophelia. It was a simple farming community that grew grapes, tobacco, and wheat and raised swine for butchering and selling. She soon saw the giant twin hills Burren and Burrena in the distance; the last leg of her journey to Pueblo de la Muerte was coming up. Good thing too, Rayne was tired of the long trip. She couldn't wait.

After an hour or two, the train finally stopped at a train station in some remote, tiny town in the middle of nowhere. Thankfully, it was cloudy, so Rayne didn't have to worry about the Sun. After collecting her luggage, she looked at a map that was posted in the station but she couldn't find the village on it, probably unmarked for obvious reasons. Rayne began to ask around for directions but even with the average Spanish that she learned from three years of language classes with Mathias and the Professor, no one would help her. They all either gave her odd looks or shook their heads and walked away.

These cold gestures reminded Rayne of the days when she was homeless in New York when people would just ignore her or pretend that she didn't exist. However, help came in the form of a little eight-year-old boy wearing holy vestments and a large burlap pouch that looked like the ones mailmen wore as they did their rounds.

"¿Necesita ayuda para llegar a la aldea señorita?" (_Do you need help getting to the village miss?")_

Rayne turned to the little boy before her.

"Oh yes please!" she said, not realizing she said it in English. But before she could correct her mistake the boy had a surprise for her.

"You speak Ingles? Don't worry I speak it too. Do you need help getting to the village?"

Rayne was surprised but at the same time relieved. She was beginning to lose hope and was considering trying to find the village by walking down the unfamiliar territory.

"Yes I am. Can you point me to direction its at please?"

"I don't have to show you senorita. I can take you there! I live there and I was just running some errands for Padre Alejo. My name is Oscar. You can take a ride with us if you'd like."

Rayne could feel her heart melt by the kindness this little boy exuded. The boy shouldered his bag and being a gentleman, the young lad helped Rayne with her sparse luggage even though she could carry most of it. Oscar led her out of the station to an old, rusted; beat up truck that looked like it was ready for the scrapyard. After Oscar spoke to the driver in Spanish, trying to explain her presence he then told Rayne that to her misfortune there was no room up front for her. Having no choice in the matter, Rayne had to sit in the back with her luggage as the grizzled truck driver started up the relic of a vehicle, and with a cough of exhaust and energy, the truck shakily made its way out of the station. Onwards to Pueblo de la Muerte!

The trip was bumpy and rough, Rayne's luggage and the passengers were jostled up and down like pistons in a much better kept engine. But soon, Rayne could see smoke and red tiled roof tops and beige, sun baked adobe houses of the village, and farther yet, the towers of Castillo Rosales. Rayne felt anticipation flow through her veins as she saw the gray stone towers and ramparts hover over the trees. Soon the road became smoother and easier to drive on, giving much relief to the rears of all three passengers. As the truck made its way through the village, Rayne began to observe its contents and population.

At a distance at first glance, one would think this village was like in the fairy tales, but upon entering it and having the keen senses of a dhampir did one learn about the truth of country life. The first thing that struck Rayne was the smell; tobacco smoke, freshly tilled soil, manure, body odor, hints of cheap perfume from some of the young women who wanted to have the luxuries of city life, and finally the faint odor of cooked meat and tomatoes. The houses of the village were adobe walled shelters with red tile roofing, and verandas for those that were two-stories tall. The life weary inhabitants milled about the square, performing their errands. Rayne could see a man leaning against a wall smoking a pipe with tobacco that was probably grown out in his own field, an old woman smoking a pipe as well was leading a mule with baskets on both its sides, five young children who had spare time played tag around the square, however they all stopped to see who this newcomer was as she vanished under a line of drying laundry between two houses.

Going a little farther, the truck drove a steep hill that overlooked the village and stopped in front of a church. The church was made out of the same materials as the houses down below and it had a bell tower with a bronze bell dark from time and weather and to the right was a large wall that seemed to enclose a garden judging by the treetops Rayne could see from where she was standing, and the doors had the strangest decoration that she had ever seen on a church. The ancient wooden doors had crosses made out of what appeared to be hammered down silver nails. The churches name was "Iglesia de las Puertas con las Cruces Moneda Treinta" or the Church of the Doors with the Thirty Piece Crosses. Quite an awfully long name for a church Rayne had first thought when she read about it in a travel book, but their church, their name.

After unloading the truck, Oscar waved good-bye and thanked the driver, who tipped his hat to Rayne and then reversed the truck and went back into the village to probably tell his friends about her. Rayne followed Oscar inside into the chapel of the church. Inside there was a middle aged couple talking in worried tones to a silver haired, weathered priest wearing a dark brown, coarse vestment that was secured with a rope belt around his waist. The priest had his hand on the woman's shoulder, trying to calm her down and was talking to her with accented Spanish. It appeared that Spanish wasn't his first language.

Soon the priest led the two down the aisle towards the door, all the while limping with a crooked, knobby cane in his right hand. Rayne and Oscar got out of the way as the priest gently ushered the couple out and then he turned his gaze to the duo after closing the door. He smiled at them.

"Ah, Buenos tardes miss! My name is Father Alejo, is there anything I can help you with?" the man said in an English accent. Rayne didn't know what to say at first. After all she was a sixteen-year-old girl in Spain all by herself and she didn't know anyone here. It was even more difficult knowing that she had to find the right words to convey her true purpose here in Pueblo de la Muerte. Not wanting to keep the kind priest waiting, Rayne winged it.

"Buenos tardes too sir. My name is Rayne Amelia Trumain. I don't know how to say this but, I'm here to kill your vampire. The Ricahembra, Ophelia Rosales…"

The old man's smile dropped and little Oscar looked up in shock. As she looked at their surprised faces, Rayne felt her heart sink and its pace quicken.

"Oh shit…," she said to herself, "I just had to be blunt didn't I?"

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**Welcome to Pueblo de la Muerte! Hopefully I have enough time this weekend to work on these stories as well as my homework which takes precedence over the former! Anyway thank you for reading or mucho gracias!_ Please review! :)_**


	16. Chapter 16: Crime and Punishment

**I'm on a role tonight! Woo ****hoo! Enjoy and please correct me if you see mistakes in the Spanish parts please. Thank you!**

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**_Church of the Doors with the Thirty Piece Crosses_**

"Ar…Are you from the Brimstone Society?" Father Alejo said in a hushed tone.

"Not exactly," Rayne said carefully, "but I am familiar with them." She said with a forced smile she hoped would quell the awkwardness. It didn't. The priest gave her a hard look and then he turned his attention to Oscar.

"Oscar, mi hijo (my boy), please go to my office and drop off the mail and attend to your other duties."

"Yes, Senor…" The boy quickly left to do his chores and Father Alejo turned to meet Rayne's gaze once again.

"Now, young lady, I do not wish to be disrespectful, but how can I be certain that a budding young woman like yourself can handle a monster the likes of the Ricahembra? She has been around for over four centuries and probably knows a thing or two about handling would-be assassins. What is your experience?" the man quizzed her with his hard eyes. It was understandable that he would doubt her, Rayne was after all wearing an immaculate white dress and sunhat with a fake sunflower in the ribbon. Not exactly vampire slayer attire.

Not wanting to be underestimated by an old man however, Rayne opened up the suitcase whose tag was labeled as "necessities" and revealed that it held her swords. Taking out one of them and strapping the bangle around her right wrist as the priest looked on in bewilderment, Rayne marched outside of the church with him close behind her. Looking around, she saw a dead tree and after looking to make sure no one else was watching, she jumped with her full strength and in one quick, fluid motion, chopped off several of the flimsy branches in one swoop. After she was done "pruning", Rayne turned to see the old man gaping at her in shock. She had shown him just how much he underestimated her and it made her proud.

"Looks can be deceiving Father." She said with a smug smile. But before she could absorb her pride however, a scream resounded from the village square. Rayne rushed down to investigate. The source of the scream came from the same woman who was in the church with her husband, who was subsequently being held in a chokehold by a very well built woman with scraggly black hair, thick, bushy eyebrows, eyes that had a savage gleam in them, and a sinister smile that bared her teeth. On both sides of the woman were two men who looked like her although they were less built than she was but each them were smiling sadistically at the man she was restraining. In the woman's one hand was a big knife whose blade was gently touching his left cheek.

"Usted va a pagar Esteban?" (Are you going to pay Esteban?)

The man struggled under the woman's strength.

"N-no…"

"Que fue eso? Tu no, por que? (What was that? Your not, why?")

The woman turned to the men.

"Lucio, Lupe, my brothers, what do you think I should do this swine herder? He refuses to pay his "taxes" to us."

She spoke in perfect English so that the poor soul in her arms and the terrified citizenry could not understand even though they knew perfectly well that something bad was coming.

"I don't know sister, he's a stubborn one. We could beat him again…" said one of the men, he wore a beige beret and vest and was clean-shaven, a sharp contrast to his other brother who was more unkempt. The other brother interjected.

"No, no Lupe, we do that too often and these fools still don't get the message," he turned to his sister with an even wider grin, "Luna, why don't you cut off his nose? Make him look like the very pigs he looks after every day."

The woman's eyes grew wide and she chortled.

"An excellent idea Lucio! I like your thinking!" Luna turned her attention back to poor Esteban and switched back to speaking in Spanish.

"Ahora, Esteban. Debido a su negativa a pagar..." (Now Esteban. Because of your refusal to pay us…"

She positioned the blade under his nose.

"Debido a que usted no va a pagar su deuda con nosotros ... Me temo que tendremos que tener la nariz como castigo!" (Because you won't pay your debt to us... I'm afraid we'll have to take your nose as punishment!)

Just as the blade sliced the cartilage, Rayne sprinted in front of Luna and delivered an elbow strike to her face. The blow knocked the woman off her feet, taking the knife with her.

"Hermana mayor! (Big sister)," cried the men as they raced to her side. They helped her up as she clutched her bruised forehead. She quickly raised her glance directly at Rayne's, and she became fiercer.

"¿Quién coño eres tú!?, (Who the fuck are you!)" she screamed. Rayne just stood there glaring back at her with angry eyes. Lupe, the well kept brother rose to his feet.

"Mi hermana sólo le hizo una pregunta. Responde ella!" he screamed. (My sister just asked you a question. Answer her!)

When Rayne still did not respond, Lupe began walking up to her until Rayne swung out the sword that was still on her arm, the tip of the blade stopping just inches from his face. Lupe stopped in his tracks as he stared down the intimidating weapon. Everyone in the square had fallen silent as they stared at the event that was happening right now. As Rayne stared him down, she felt it necessary to show them their place;

"Not so tough now when somebody's armed huh? You bully a defenseless man but when it comes to a one on one match with someone who is equal to you in strength, you freeze and shiver like a coward. You're just a pathetic asshole along with your brother and psycho sister."

The three were petrified were they stood. Not only did this woman know English, but she was armed, very quick, and could pack a punch too. Defeated, Lucio picked up his sister and as the two walked away, they exchanged angry glares back at Rayne, muttering something in Spanish. Rayne thought she saw something unearthly in those eyes, but it was probably just the anger of being humiliated in front of their victims. As soon as they were out of sight, the villagers began to stir slightly.

They all stared at Rayne. But instead of cheers, there was an awkward silence. They soon began to move away anxiously; both only Esteban and his wife said anything to her.

"Gracias. Mucho Gracias!" (Thank you. Thank you so much!"

Just as they left, Father Alejo came hobbling down with his cane followed by Oscar.

"Tio Esteban!"(Uncle Esteban!) the little boy cried running towards his uncle and inquired on what had happened to him. Father Alejo, then asked a question.

"What happened down here miss Rayne?"

"These three people were harassing that man and that woman was about to cut off his nose. I saved him and those three left."

Father Alejo's eyes went wide when she mentioned the trio.

"You attacked the Guerra Triplets," he said, his jaw shaking, "You went up against Luna, Lucio, and Lupe Guerra all on your own without getting injured? Dios Mio this is a miracle!" (My God)

The man jumped up, somewhat, in joy.

"Do you have any idea how long those three had it coming!"

"Who are they?" Rayne asked curiously.

"Those three, vermin, scum, ganado (beasts)! They came to this village over ten years ago and they have been terrorizing everyone since. They harass the farmers here for their money and a share of their produce and they bully everyone. But your little intervention miss will probably knock them down a peg or two for sure!"

The priest was so happy, that he took Rayne's hand and he shook it vigorously to her surprise.

"Padre Alejo!"

It was Oscar.

"I'm going to take my uncle and aunt home okay? I'll come back later."

He waved good-bye and left. After escorting his uncle and aunt home, Oscar saw Rayne was waiting for down the road.

"Senorita Rayne?"

"Ola kiddo! I thought I'd meet up with you and take you back home so you wouldn't have to run into those goons okay?"

As the two walked back to the village, Rayne asked a question about the church's strange door ornamentation and Oscar told her that the crosses were indeed composed of nails made of pure silver and that they represented the thirty pieces of silver Judas Iscariot received for handing Jesus over to the Roman authorities. The doors also represented the fact that when the congregation came for worship, they would see the crosses and remember Judas's sin of betrayal and when they learn forgiveness and love, they leave with the doors wide open and the crosses facing the walls, representing that they are putting the "sin" behind them and all is good. When questioned about Father Alejo, little Oscar revealed that Alejo, real name Alexander Stephenson, was a veteran of World War I. He came to Spain during his journey for redemption for all the men he had killed during the war and the name of the church struck him on a sentimental level, because during the war, he traded secrets for the Germans in the hopes that the war would end sooner. Sadly the Germans turned on him and wiped out his battalion while Alexander was wounded in the leg which resulted in his limp.

Seeing this as his punishment, he began to wander Europe at the end of the war in hopes of finding forgiveness through kind and selfless acts. How sad but it seemed he was on his way. Soon Rayne and Oscar reached his home in the village.

"Here we are Oscar. I'll see you later alright?"

"Okay! But I will be back at the church tonight. We're going to have a vigil for Ovidio Melendez, my aunt's cousin… He went missing last night… The Ricahembra took him…"

Rayne looked at the boy with concern and anger.

"She took away a family member from you? How often does she do this?"

Oscar looked down on the ground. "Every few weeks or so... She only comes out when she's hungry or upset." He then looked up at Rayne with expectant eyes.

"You'll kill her right? You'll make this end for good?"

The little boy's eyes were welling up with tears. Rayne hugged Oscar.

"No one should have to be this scared, no one," she thought and then she said to the boy, "Oscar, don't worry, I will kill the Ricahembra so you'll never have to live in fear ever again. I promise…"

Oscar wiped his eyes and smiled and the two parted ways.

**_Later that night…_**

The church was filled with the relatives of Ovidio Melendez, his cousin and her husband Esteban and their twin daughters, their pet piglet and Oscar and his mother Prudencia. Rayne watched from the door leading down to priests bedroom and guestroom as Father Alejo conducted the service in honor of the life of Ovidio even though his body was not present. He was a bachelor who had found love and was recently engaged. Sadly, it all had to end at the tender age of eighteen by Ophelia's fangs. It was a beautiful ceremony; the adobe chapel was lit with the soft glow of beeswax candles and was watched over silently by the saints frozen in the stained glass windows.

However, Rayne got bored and decided to go through her luggage to make sure she had everything. Everything was packed neatly thanks to Nadya and a little help from Gabriella. In one of the suitcases however, there was a brown paper bundle that intrigued Rayne. There was note attached to it that said;

_"Dear Rayne,_

_Nadya and Gabriella found it in your best interest to make a combat suit for you in your impending battle with Ophelia Rosales. It is to be a surprise for you when you reach your destination. I believe you will find it to your liking._

_Sincerely,_

_Professor Trumain,_

_PS. Godspeed Rayne, may the Almighty guide your hand in your toughest hour."_

Curious, Rayne ripped open the package and was immediately in awe of her present. It was a body suit made out of red and black dyed leather, it consisted of a tank top that would expose much of her upper and lower torso, handless black sleeves with red trim that were almost the length of her entire arm, and what appeared to be a form fitting, black and red pants that had bladed stilettos for the feet. Among the clothes, there were accessories as well. Two silver rings that had black and red ribbons tied to them that had a strange language written on them and a choker for aesthetic purposes only. Now this was an outfit for vampire slayers! Amongst the colorful clothes was a card.

Inside it said **Bon Voyage and Good Luck on your Travels** and the Professor, Nadya, Mathias, Gabriel and Gabriella, Hashim, and Holly had signed it. It was all so touching that Rayne could feel tears well up in her eyes. Meanwhile, the service upstairs had concluded and the people were going home. As Oscar opened the door and led everyone out, a giant fur ridden hand lunged down from the darkness and grabbed his head, pulling him up screaming onto the roof. Rayne snapped back to her senses in shock.

"Oh my God! Oscar!"

She ran back up to the chapel only to be stopped by Esteban's twin daughter's who were yelling one word over and over.

"Lobo Hombre! Lobo Hombre!" (Werewolf)

Rayne headed their advice and looked up to the ceiling. Despite the circumstances, she smirked.

Vampires and now werewolves...

Things were getting out of hand yet, more interesting.

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**The next chapter is going to have Rayne pitted against a werewolf folks and now her trademark suit has made its first appearance! Thank you and _please review! :)_**


	17. Chapter 17: Werewolf Attack

**Sorry for the wait everyone! School and other events came up. Thank you Alex for reinvigorating my spark! I hope you and the others who have commented my story so far enjoy this new chapter. Its Rayne's battle against a werewolf! Enjoy!**

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**_Church of the Doors with the Thirty Piece Crosses_**

**_Night_**

**Author's Note: Gore, violence, and lewd comments ahead. ****  
**

"¡Ayúdame! Por favor, ayudar a alguien!" (Help me! Please help somebody!)

Screamed poor little Oscar as he dangled precariously over the heads of his family and Father Alejo, his head firmly clamped in the clawed hand of the Lobo Hombre that had seized him from above. Rayne wasted no time going back to her room to change into her new outfit, clasping her blades on and climbing up the steps leading up to the bell tower. At the top, Rayne could see the impressive form of the werewolf. It looked well built yet a little lanky at the same time and even though it was crouching on the roof, Rayne could tell it was pretty damn tall, even taller if it stood on it's hind legs. The body of the monster was covered in black, shaggy, glossy fur and from Rayne's point of view under the bell tower canopy, she could see it holding Oscar out in front of him, letting him dangle like bait on a fishhook.

"Where is the stranger priest?" By stranger, he meant Rayne. The beast's voice came out like a deep sinister growl but it was mixed with a familiar accented voice. It spoke in perfect English. Rayne knew at once who this beast was, a Guerra sibling and by the sound of the voice, it was male.

"What…what?" was all Father Alejo could say in his terrified state.

"You know what the fuck I'm talking about! Don't play dumb with me priest or else you'll be cleaning more than the souls of these idiots at your pulpit tomorrow when I drop your little altar boy from this roof!"

This caused Oscar to squirm even more in fright as the terrified onlookers tried beg for the little boy's life. Strangely, it appeared that no one else was coming. They were probably too scared to come out and help knowing that a something evil was at the church. It was all up to Rayne now to step up to the plate and take on her nemesis of the night. She took a deep breath and spoke.

"You looking for me you flea bitten mutt?"

The werewolf turned to face his target who then gave him a smirk. The creature's silver eyes began to shimmer intensely as it eyed her. Rayne got out of the bell tower and onto the tiled roof just as a clawed hand shot in to grab her. In frustration, the wolf deposited Oscar in the bell tower.

"Beat it enano!" (Beat it runt!)

Oscar sprinted down the steps as soon as he was able to get back on his feet. The wolf climbed up the tower and stared down at Rayne with angry silver eyes but upon seeing Rayne clad in her tight suit which bared a considerable amount of her midriff his eyes glowed with desire as he licked the dripping saliva from his lips.

"Vaya, vaya (My, my), aren't you a sight for sore eyes! I'm going to have to be really delicate with you. Don't want to bash you up too much because my brother and I would love to "try" you out… But I do want you to suffer for what you did to my sister earlier this afternoon."

Lupe, the youngest of the Triplets, the one who tried to confront Rayne earlier that day when she injured his sister Luna was the identity of the beast before Rayne that moment. His evident desire to "try her out" made her skin crawl more in the cool March night air. But she stared him straight in the eyes and said:

"Before we begin buddy, let me make two things very clear with you. First thing, I'm sixteen. Second thing, are you in league with the Ricahembra?"

Lupe let out an evil laugh.

"My siblings and I would never side with that miserable, dusty, old bloodsucking bitch! We are our own masters, both night and _day_! And besides, your age doesn't matter. You'll still be good even when you're dead."

"Ewww you guys practice necrophilia? That is seriously disgusting!"

Lupe merely chuckled at her remark and he stared at her, probably imagining the unspeakable desecration he and his brother were going to do her. Rayne swung her swords out, she was tired of talk it was time to handle this beast! Lupe in turn reared his head up to the foggy full moon and let out a haunting howl that echoed over the rooftops of the village. Rayne gripped the handles of Malebranche tightly, anticipating Lupe's first strike. One could cut the tension in the air with a knife.

She didn't have to wait long. He lunged from his perch on the bell tower, mouth open and fangs bared, he fell upon his target with lighting quick speed that was betrayed by his size. However Rayne sidestepped him and his fangs missed and the only taste his tongue received was the dust, sandy grit, and sharp shards of roof tile. During her evasion, Rayne managed to slice Lupe's right side, causing him to yelp in surprise. He turned around to get her with a clawed swipe but this attack was effortlessly dodged by Rayne again and to injure his pride further, she managed a complete turnaround while in midair and she brought both blades down upon him, cutting deeply into his left side and arm.

Roaring in frustration, Lupe leapt away from his opponent. He growled and snarled at her all the while internally cursing himself for underestimating his opponent. Feeling her vampiric powers course through her veins, Rayne unleashed her _Blood Rage _and she proceeded to cut and slash away at Lupe. However it appeared that Lupe's flesh was pretty thick combined with the fur. Even as ribbons of blood scattered this way and that, it was like cutting a steak with a very dull knife.

Rayne increased the power of her attack but to no avail and soon her _Blood Rage _ended and her swords were merely nicking instead of cutting. Lupe took this opportunity to pick her up and crush her sides and arms with his massive palms. Rayne let out a sharp cry as her ribcage began to reluctantly bend under the pressure. Lupe seemed to enjoy her pain and he relished in the power he was exerting on her. But Rayne was not going to give up just yet.

Remembering her spiked stilettos, she managed to lift her leg high enough to kick Lupe in the neck and she managed to pierce the thick hide. The werewolf dropped Rayne in shock as he clutched his neck. She rolled down the roof but managed to catch herself before she fell. Down below she could see a small garden in the walled off courtyard of the church. She could see some odd looking blue and white flowers.

Lupe came at her again but Rayne rolled down onto the garden below with him following after her. She managed to flip herself over and away from the wolf's impact but the in the instant that the beast touched those odd flowers, Lupe went into a frenzy. He began clawing at his face, his throat, everywhere screaming in agony. Rayne then knew what the flowers where, it was wolfsbane. A very poisonous plant, wolfsbane also known among its many names as the "Queen of Poisons," it is to werewolves as holy water is to vampires.

By unbelievable luck, Father Alejo had planted some in his garden. Seeing her chance, Rayne began to run towards him, but it appeared that Lupe used his common sense as he managed to get himself out of the irritating garden from which he began to recover quickly. Not to be deterred, Rayne grabbed some of the crushed plants and she jumped up on him and began to smear the toxic juices of the vegetation on his face, causing the beast to howl in pain as it burned his eye and cheek. She slashed the fingers of the incoming hand that reached for her only for them to be nicked. He merely grabbed her and threw her off him again with ease.

Infuriated, Lupe lunged at his enemy, only for Rayne, with her quick reflexes; bend backwards as if she was trying to do the limbo, crossed her blades and just as Lupe passed over her, swung them out and cut off Lupe's legs at the knees. It appeared that his skin was much softer at the joints. A bloodcurdling scream filled Rayne's ears as Lupe crashed to the ground as he started to grab his cleanly cut leg stumps. Adrenaline rushed through Rayne's blood as she viewed the triumphant outcome of the attack, the writhing, screaming werewolf, and his bodiless legs lying at Rayne's sides. Lupe was finished.

With a proportionate amount of his strength lost, Lupe had only pure determination and rage to rely on to attempt one last resort against Rayne. Anchoring himself into the ground, focusing the last of his power into his upper torso, he began to charge at Rayne. But she had one more surprise for him; her _Blood Rage _was back and ready. Now knowing where to hit, Rayne reactivated her inner power and she proceeded to slice at the werewolf's elbows, this time gashing them and nearly severing the arms before she cut off his lower jaw and finally, the coup de grace, she slashed his throat. Lupe fell dead and mutilated beyond a skilled morticians repair.

Turning off her _Blood Rage, _Rayne observed her handiwork. She had cut up the bastard really good, leaving a bloody and gory mess on the cool grass. A small creaking sound began to emanate from the monster's corpse and soon his body began to change, even his dismembered legs and jaw. The fur receded, the teeth got smaller, his facial features shrank, and he got smaller. Slowly, the human form of Lupe Guerra came back into existence.

From the corner of her eye, Rayne saw that Father Alejo, Oscar, Esteban and his family came sprinting (limping in Alejo's case) into the garden to see the damage. They were all shocked to see the cut up and burned body of Lupe. What a strange site it had to have been for the group to see the damaged corpse and the scantily clothed young woman who was bruised and bloody from her fight with the beast. Before Rayne could find the appropriate words to explain the scene before them, she began to feel a strange tingling in her fingers that was slowly beginning to creep down her hand and wrist. Father Alejo saw her concern and immediately came to her side.

"What is wrong my dear girl?"

"I don't know… my hand feels weird, wait… now it's coming down my arm!"

"Did you touch my wolfsbane?" he turned to his garden and he saw the smashed plants. He turned his gaze back to Rayne, this time with a look of concern on his face.

"You've been poisoned by wolfsbane! The toxin must have seeped into your fingers. Don't worry I have an antidote in the church. Please come with me."

"Wait what about the about the body?"

Father Alejo turned his attention to the corpse before him, his eyes going wide as he surveyed the extent of Lupe's injuries.

"Lupe Guerra was a werewolf? Then that must mean that his siblings are-"

Before he could say anything else, Rayne asked him to get her the medicine, which he promptly did. After getting the antidote, Rayne thought up of a way to dispose of Lupe's body. As morning came, the Guerra siblings were awoken to the sound of a loud thud outside the door of their simple hut on the outskirts of town. Luna got up to see what it was. Upon opening the door, she discovered a disturbing sight.

A blood stained burlap sack that held something heavy and seemingly disassembled. Curious and concerned, Luna cautiously opened the bag, only to shriek in horror at its contents, bringing Lucio to the door and then he too joined in his sister's anguished cries. Inside the bag was Lupe Guerra's ravaged body. His attempt at revenge had failed. Inside his mouth, reattached thanks to a rope tied around his head and under his chin, was a note. It read:

"Dear Guerra's,

Here's your brother Lupe. Know that you are next. See later tonight. You know who it is."

The next sound that uttered from the two surviving triplet siblings was a roar of rage. It resounded throughout the village, the fields and the church. Rayne could hear it even through the adobe walls.

She smiled.

Tonight was going to be a night to be remembered.

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**The next chapter is going to have Rayne pitted up against Luna and Lucio Guerra. Things are getting exciting! Thank you all for being patient. I have some tests coming up but I will try to get the next chapter up and going. Thank you all again and enjoy!**


	18. Chapter 18: Double Vengeance

** Hello everyone! I know this chapter is long overdue, but school and other responsibilities popped up and I couldn't get to this chapter. Hopefully I can work on this more during Winter Break. Only four more chapters to go! Please enjoy!**

**P.S. This one's for you Guest! Your patience shall now be richly rewarded! :) **

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**_Forest outside of Pueblo de la Muerte_**

**_Night_**

**Author's note: ****Violent, profane language and gory content ahead.****  
**

It was a clear night with only a few grey, soft, cottony clouds hanging in the black-blue sky that was studded with stars and a full moon that had the creeping shadow of a waxing appearing on it. It was beautiful, but Rayne could not stop to enjoy it since she was on high alert. Luna and Lucio Guerra came to the church that morning, cursing and screaming saying that tonight the red headed stranger was going to die like a Barcelona whore for what she had done to their beloved brother Lupe. Oscar told Rayne about this threat after she woke up from sleeping in that morning. Rayne had welcomed the challenge despite Oscar's objections.

Even though she had some hardship during the fight with Lupe last night, Rayne had learned from the experience. She remembered how her speed trumped Lupe's but his slowness was made up for by his immense strength and with two werewolves to fight this time, she was going have to be on her toes and second, their skin was very tough except for the skin on the joints. Weapons wise however, she was going to need a more diverse set besides Malebranche. Father Alejo and Esteban generously provided her with some guns (Alejo's old army pistol and Ovidio's hunting rifle, it was found in the forest after he disappeared. He was went hunting for a weasel that was killing his chickens. Sadly it appeared that Ophelia was hungry that night.) and oddly enough, a stick of dynamite whose origins were explained to have belonged to a relative who worked in a coal mine down south and had brought the explosive as a little "gift" for Esteban's family. Father Alejo had also presented her a phial of wolfsbane extract for her to smear her swords with.

Sadly however, no one had any silver bullets to spare but regardless she was set. But there was two questions Rayne wanted answered one being how to enter the castle, and two, how the hell did Father Alejo never notice that there were three freakin werewolves in the village! The latter question was easily answered. Wolves were driven to extinction in England long ago due to overhunting and loss of habitat. The only wolves Alejo had ever seen were the ones located in the London Zoo and the closest thing to a creepy howl were from foxhounds communicating with each other at night in their kennels on the vast estates of the well off gentry.

The howl of a werewolf would be considered a normal howl to inexperienced ears.

The former took some digging into. With patience, Alejo learned from an old tome about the Rosales clan that there were three ways to enter the castle. One way was to simply take the entrance on the other side in the plain or the second and the most favored, the secret passage down the cliff the castle was built on by the river. It was once used by the Rosales family to escape during times of siege or other threats. Rayne decided to go with that option.

She wanted to surprise Ophelia on her own turf.

Thoughts of her upcoming revenge filled her mind. She was excited. Seven years had passed since the day of her family's murder, but tonight, this very night, one of the murderers was going to face justice at Rayne's hands. She couldn't wait. A howl suddenly cut sharply into Rayne's thoughts.

It was a deep, haunting sound that was followed by another one and the sound effect created by both was quite terrifying. The Guerra's were out and about and hungry for blood, Rayne's blood. Rayne pointed her pistol into the forest and flexed out one blade and she put her guard up. Everything was dead quiet. No hooting owls, no nocturnal sounds, just an eerie silence.

The kind one hears in their nightmares as their worst terror comes to life right behind them…

It even made Rayne a little scared. Luna and Lucio could be anywhere right now heading right towards her. She turned on her _Aura__Sense _and sure enough she immediately saw two specks of blue quickly getting bigger and bigger as they traveled through the forest towards her direction at top speed.

"Oh shit!" Rayne thought.

She had to think of something now! She had an idea and she took out the small bottle of wolfsbane extract and began coating her swords in it. Soon the werewolves came, but Rayne wasn't there. Luna sniffed the air, taking in deep breaths, looking for a dhampir's scent. Lucio scanned the area but even with his night vision he couldn't see anything resembling the stranger. He then heard the sound of a stone falling from the cliff.

Turning his attention towards the cliff face, he walked over to it and looked down only to be greeted with a sword right through the nose. Slipping his proboscis off in shock, Rayne, who had been hiding down there holding onto the roots of a tree that was growing there, leapt up, twirled around and slashed Lucio's face again, this time cutting off some of his face. His agonized scream brought the startled silver gaze of his sister towards his attacker. Seeing her only brother being grievously injured and poisoned, Luna attacked Rayne. But Rayne simply somersaulted over her and shot Luna in the back several times with her pistol.

Luna roared with frustration as she reached for her back to feel the wounds. She turned to face Rayne with pure hatred and rage burning in her eyes and seething out between her fangs.

"You are going to die tonight stranger! You are going to die PAINFULLY! I'm going to rip out your cunt and shove it down your throat! Then I will pull out your eyes and ears and tear your skull open, YOU HEAR ME! YOU WILL PAY FOR WHAT YOU DID TO OUR LUPE!"

"Holy shit, you kiss your mother with that mouth?"

Stupid thing to say, but Rayne couldn't resist. Kind of an oxymoron really but no time for that, Luna and Lucio were ready to waste Rayne. With a roar, Luna made her move before Rayne could consider her own. A huge clawed hand nearly sent Rayne flying into the trees if she didn't jump in time to avoid it. Rayne landed on Luna's back and just as Lupe was charging towards her, Rayne, with her stilettos firmly embedded in Luna's back and using her dhampir strength, pulled Luna down by her neck and Lucio ended up biting his own sister's head!

"Whoops," was all Rayne could say. Luna had something else in mind.

"Lucio idiota!" (Lucio you idiot!)

Rayne took the opportunity to stab Lucio from under the chin before he could let go of his sister's head. Poor guy's face just wasn't catching a break in this battle! Just as he pulled away, Rayne got off of Luna and now embedded herself on Lucio's chest. She tore her sword out and jumped onto Lucio's broad shoulders and was prepared to slit his throat when a brown blur at the corner of her eye seized her attention. It was a tree trunk!

Rayne managed to move her arm up to her face to buffer the blow that sent her flying off of Lucio's shoulders. She could feel swelling forming up in her forearm, and a stinging sensation in her gums from her forearm being smashed against her mouth. She could also taste blood wreathing her teeth like Christmas tinsel. She picked herself up just as Luna, with tree trunk in hand and a heavily mutilated Lucio turned to her and began to slowly make their way towards her.

"Usted es nuestro ahora coño!" (You're ours now cunt!)

Rayne got up and spat out blood. She licked her gums and swallowed the remaining blood. Thankfully and miraculously, none of her teeth were loosened. She stared into the silver eyes of her enemies, rivaling their glow with her luminescent green eyes.

"Not quite you bastards…"

She retracted the blades and began a slow walk towards her opponents who began to cautiously walk towards her. They began to circle around each other until Rayne charged them. Lucio came towards her with his hand outstretched but Rayne had anticipated this move and she quickly slashed his fingers at the knuckles, severing them like grass under a scythe. Before he could react, Rayne pierced his neck and another under his chin and through his head, causing her sword to enter his brain. Lucio stopped, quite literally, dead in his tracks.

Luna stared wondering what was going on when Lucio's body fell backward, with Rayne standing triumphantly with two bloodied blades. Luna let out a bloodcurdling howl laced with rage and grief seeing her remaining brother dead before her. She raised the trunk and ran over to Rayne and swung it at her. Rayne jumped on the trunk and jumped over the crazed Luna, and with one quick upward slash under Luna's left armpit, severing her arm at the shoulder. Rayne tried cutting Luna in half at the waist, but it turned out that the skin was too thick.

So instead Rayne ran ahead of Luna's front just as she fell down in pain and when she was far enough, she jumped up and did a twirling, horizontal kick jump, spikes first, into Luna's chest. The kick was hard enough to push Luna off the cliff and into the river down below, howling all the way down. Rayne watched the subsequent white pulse of the splash. She used her _Aura Sense _to see if Luna survived. There was no trace of life from the raging river below.

Rayne sighed with relief. Now it will be easier to get to Opheila. Now, how would she get to the secret entrance? The river was a roaring cataract that could drag her down to her death if she made one poor step. Nonetheless, her _Aura Sense _showed her where to go.

Farther upriver where Luna fell, was the hidden entrance to the castle. Looking down into the river itself, Rayne could see stones jutting out of the water. They looked big enough for her land on.

"I hope I can keep my balance on them…"

Taking a deep breath, Rayne jumped over the cliff and descended down onto the rocks below. With Lady Luck's blessing, Rayne's stilettos gripped the soaked rocks with surprising strength. But then, a giant hand suddenly lunged out of the water and dragged Rayne into the cold cataract. Rayne gasped bubbles into the water, the attack taking her by complete surprise. The water seemed to set her skin on fire, as if she was in an inferno.

Afraid to open her eyes, Rayne blindly sliced through the water with her blades, kicking whatever was holding her from behind in the stomach, piercing the skin after a few attempts. Even as her strength faded, Rayne focused her remaining power into her heel and she dragged the spike down through the beast's chest. A muffled roar resounded through the water and Rayne managed to float to the top. Grabbing the nearest rock, she jumped out of the water and onto a pebble-strewn shore nearby, panting and reveling in the fact that the intense burning sensation was dwindling to a fading sting. Rayne looked up just in time to see Luna emerging and clutching the rock she had landed on with her only hand.

Luna, after catching her own breath, turned to glare at Rayne with molten silver eyes. How could she have survived all her wounds? Her left arm was cut off at the shoulder and she should have bled out in seconds. It seemed that pure determination ran in the veins of the Guerra Family! How was Rayne going to be to kill a foe like this?

"My brothers are dead and I am doomed to die soon." Luna spoke in a deep voice laced with angry despair. She managed to pull herself up onto the rock.

"But before that happens, I am going to send you to hell before I go myself!"

She lunged at Rayne who rolled to the side as Luna's massive paw slashed the thick greyish brown sand and pebbles. Rayne, still a little weak from her near drowning, stood on wobbly legs as Luna leered at her, confident that she now had the upper hand against her dhampir foe.

"¿Qué vas a hacer ahora niña?" (What are you going to do now little girl?)

Good question, what was Rayne going to do? She could try to shoot Luna, but as she reached for her holstered pistol she felt the stick of dynamite. It was wet and she forgot matches, but she had an idea.

"Catch!" Rayne said as she threw the volatile stick. Luna instinctively bit it, hesitating when she found out it was dynamite. Seeing that it didn't have a spark, Luna sighed with relief and glared at Rayne with a sneer.

"Its not even lit stupid!"

Rayne brought out the hunting rifle and aimed at Luna's mouth.

"Now it is."

With the pull of the trigger, the bullet pierced the stick, causing it to explode and blowing off Luna's head and half of her neck. Rayne raised her arm to protect her face from the oncoming spray of blood, brain matter and pieces of skull and teeth. After it was over, Rayne saw the destroyed body of Luna fall on its knees and onto its stomach. She didn't need her _Aura Sense _to see if Luna was really dead.

Now the that all three Guerras' were dead, Rayne could continue on with her mission. However, she needed to regain her strength, fighting two werewolves and nearly drowning certainly does drain ones power and stamina! Seeing the blood ooze out of the remains of Luna's neck and armless shoulder, Rayne found her thirst to be attracted to this opportunity. Hoisting the headless body up to chin level, Rayne began drink the dark red blood. It was very thick and tasted awful but it nourished her body and restored Rayne's strength.

Dropping the heavy corpse with a thud and clatter on the river beach stones, Rayne turned her attention towards the direction where the hidden entrance was. After jumping from rock to rock and the occasionally driftwood, she found the entrance hidden by bushes and straggling roots and cliff flora. It was dark and the faint noise of a breeze blowing through the cave made it look and sound like the interior of a windpipe. The intense blue light from her _Aura Sense _indicated that this was defiantly the place.

Looking up the cliff face, Rayne could see the intimidating spires and ramparts of the castle. Ophelia was somewhere up there. But wherever she was hiding, Rayne would find her and make her pay. Pushing her shoulders back and looking straight ahead, Rayne proceeded to enter the cave. She wandered what Ophelia would think when she sees her, her grim reaper.

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**Only four chapter left! I can't believe it. I started this story two years ago as a private pleasure, but now I am publishing it for all to see! Thank you for reading and _please _****_review!_ :)**


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